When an instrument malfunctions, cross-check with backup instruments and follow abnormal procedures to keep the flight safe.

Hooked on the cockpit rhythm? Let’s be honest: when a gauge flickers or a digit goes rogue, your heart doesn’t skip a beat—it speeds up. You’re not just staring at numbers; you’re protecting lives, crew, and payload. For SkyWest ERJ crews, the moment you suspect an instrument isn’t talking to the rest of the airplane, you switch into a careful, practiced mode. The core rule is simple, but powerful: cross-check with backup instruments and follow the abnormal procedures to address the failure. No bravado, just disciplined, smart action.

Let me explain why this isn’t just “one of those checklist items.” In a high-stakes cockpit, a single faulty instrument can distort your perception of attitude, altitude, or airspeed. If you ignore it, you’re stacking risk. If you yank the power switch on everything, you’re throwing away essential data when you need it most. The solution is to verify with reliable backups and execute a pre-planned abnormal procedure. That approach keeps you grounded, focused, and aware of the evolving situation.

Right from the start: what counts as a malfunction?

• The moment you notice something off, you don’t scream “emergency!” you start a quick, calm triage. Is the odd reading isolated to one instrument or is it corroborated by others? Is it a transient glitch or a persistent fault? In a SkyWest ERJ, you’ll often have multiple sources of truth: the primary flight display (PFD), the multi-function display (MFD), and a dedicated standby instrument cluster. When those sources disagree, that’s your cue to cross-check—stat.

• Think of the backup instruments as your safety net. They’re not just “spares.” They’re designed to keep you honest about attitude, altitude, and airspeed when the primary readings go off the rails.

Backups: what you’re really checking

• Standby attitude indicator: your anchor for pitch and bank when the PFD misleads you. It won’t glow with fancy graphics, but it tells you where you truly are relative to the horizon.

• Standby altimeter and airspeed indicators: these give you a gravity-check, a sanity check against the more complex sensors that might be feeding the PFD. If the PFD reads wildly wrong but the standby unit agrees with the field elevation and the flight plan, you’ve likely found the source of the discrepancy.

• Air data system cross-checks: in modern ERJs, multiple air data computers feed the PFDs. If one unit misbehaves, the others still talk to the autopilot, flight director, and caution/advisory systems—provided you follow the abnormal procedures to isolate faults.

Here’s the thing about cross-checking: you’re not just verifying one bit of data; you’re building a reliable picture of the flight’s true state. It’s a little like weather checking before you head out: you don’t bet the flight on a rumor you heard in the briefing room. You verify, you confirm, you proceed with a plan that acknowledges the uncertainty.

The abnormal procedures: your structured map through uncertainty

Abnormal procedures aren’t a set of vague hints. They’re a well-rehearsed sequence designed to bring you from confusion to clarity, step by step. In CQ and KV training modules for SkyWest ERJ crews, you’ll find these procedures laid out to handle a variety of instrument anomalies—from single-channel discrepancies to conflicting attitude and speed readings.

What does a typical abnormal procedure look like in practice?

• Stabilize, verify, and call out. The crew confirms the suspected instrument issue, assigns a crewmate to monitor primary flight data while another checks backup sources, and communicates clearly. This is CRM in action—everybody knows what to look at, who’s double-checking what, and what to do next.

• Cross-check with standby instruments. If the PFD shows a strange attitude, the standby horizon tells you whether you’re actually ascending, descending, or holding a steady bank. You compare airspeed with the standby airspeed indicator. If there’s a mismatch, you troubleshoot the data path, not chase a number that’s likely wrong.

• Follow the QRH-like flow, not emotion. The abnormal procedures are your map. They tell you how to prioritize tasks, what to disable or isolate, and how to communicate with dispatch and, if you’re working with a trainer, your instructor. It’s not about fear; it’s about method.

A practical stroll-through, in plain terms

• Step one: detect and announce. If something looks off on the PFD or MFD, say it out loud. The crew repeats what they see until it’s unanimously understood. This prevents any one person from carrying an incorrect assumption.

• Step two: isolate the fault. You’re looking for whether the problem is instrument-specific or system-wide. Switch sources if you must. If the standby instruments still align with your situational awareness, you’ve got a directional cue.

• Step three: apply the abnormal procedure. You’ll perform a controlled and methodical series of actions—reducing automation if needed, reconfiguring flight modes, and ensuring you’re still within safe margins. This isn’t guesswork; it’s a prescribed, repeatable sequence.

• Step four: reassess and continue. With the backup data in hand and a solid plan, you re-evaluate the flight path, adjust pitch and power as needed, and communicate your plan to the crew and, when appropriate, air traffic control.

What not to do: the common traps

• Ignore it and pretend nothing’s wrong. It’s a tempting impulse—after all, the rest of the cockpit seems to be communicating—but it’s a dangerous one. A single bad reading, left unchecked, can cascade into bigger issues down the line.

• Turn off all instruments. Yes, you’d like a clean slate, but you’ll also erase your only trustworthy data. The standby instruments exist precisely for moments like this.

• Report the issue only after landing. If you wait, you’re shipping risk downrange. Immediate, accurate reporting helps with future safety and system improvements and keeps the flight deck aligned on safety first.

A few tips that stick in practice (without turning this into a quiz show)

• Train with intention. Regularly run through instrument-failure scenarios in a simulator. It’s the difference between muscle memory and second-guessing when you’re in the moment.

• Keep the crew synchronized. Verbal discipline matters. When one person calls a discrepancy, others confirm, avoiding mixed messages that can cost you precious seconds.

• Know your tools. The ERJ cockpits SkyWest crews fly use a set of dependable backups. Familiarize yourself with how the standby instruments respond under different fault modes, so you’re not hunting for the right button in a panic.

• Use real-world analogies to stay grounded. Think of the standby instruments as a trusted friend when your navigator gets quirky. They may not be the star players, but they’re steady and honest.

A quick note on the broader picture

Instrument reliability isn’t just about one flight or one module. It’s a thread that ties into situational awareness, crew resource management, and ongoing safety culture. In SkyWest ERJ operations, CQ and KV materials emphasize keeping a calm, methodical cadence—especially when data isn’t behaving. The aim is never to react with reflexive bravado but to respond with disciplined analysis, clear communication, and a proven set of procedures.

If you’re picturing a training module or a lesson plan, you’re not far off. Think of this as the backbone of the cockpit toolkit: backup instruments that won’t quit, and abnormal procedures that keep you from spiraling when the data stream goes off-key. It’s a practical marriage of science and judgment—the kind of balance that makes a safe flight even when the numbers wobble.

Bringing it home: the core takeaway

When a malfunctioning instrument surfaces in an ERJ cockpit, the right move is to cross-check with backup instruments and follow abnormal procedures to address the failure. It’s that simple in principle, but the real payoff comes in how you apply it: calmly verify, methodically isolate, and execute the plan with your team. This approach preserves safety, preserves situational awareness, and keeps the flight path steady even when one instrument goes sideways.

If you’ve ever flown with a crew that treats instrument quirks with respect and rigor, you know the difference. The cockpit feels less like a pressure cooker and more like a well-oiled machine that can adapt, absorb, and respond. That adaptability isn’t magic. It’s training, discipline, and the right mindset—the same mindset that SkyWest ERJ crews bring to the line every day.

So next time a gauge misbehaves, remember the rule of two or three sources of truth, a steady hand on the wheel, and a clear, practiced plan. Cross-check, follow the abnormal procedures, and keep your eyes on the horizon. That’s how pilots protect people in the cabin and keep the skies safe for everyone riding along.