AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013 - 104

NEWS & NOTES

AOPA FOUNDATION

‘Houston, we have a problem’
Air Safety Institute spotlights controllers
AO PA F O U N DAT I O N
the flight, which had an onPresident Bruce Landsberg;
board fire, ditched in the Gulf
airline captain and Aviation
of Mexico.
Safety Chairman for the
In a March 2012 inciAir Line Pilots Association
dent, controller Rosalina
(ALPA) Charles Hogeman;
Serai alerted a pilot “who
and the National Air Traffic
was under enormous disControllers Association’s
tress while operating under
(NATCA) safety and technology direc- instrument conditions, deviating off course
tor and retired air traffic controller, Dale and heading toward rising terrain.” Serai
Wright, selected the 2012 Archie League directed the aircraft to another airport,
Medal of Safety Awards recipients from where it landed safely.
nominees in each ATC region. The prestiIn a May 2012 instance, John Herlien
gious award, presented at NATCA’s Ninth directed a pilot who was experiencing
Annual Archie League Medal of Safety hypoxia to descend. The pilot reported feelAwards banquet, honored controllers ing better at a lower altitude and the flight
whose actions were critical to the positive ended safely.
outcome of a flight in jeopardy.
And in October, controller Steve Clark
The awards ceremony offered addi- assisted a pilot flying in instrument conditional recognition by the Air Safety tions whose Cessna 182 aircraft experienced
Institute during the evening’s festivities. an avionics failure. “Controller Clark handled
Five air traffic controllers were awarded the emergency in an exemplary manner by
ASI’s Flight Assist Commendations for providing no-gyro vectors to several airports
guiding pilots to safety who were strug- until suitable landing conditions were found,”
gling with airborne situations that included the award states. The pilot landed safely.
an on-board fire, a loss of instruments,
“These controllers exemplify the high
hypoxia, and the danger of high terrain.
standards that we’ve come to rely upon,’’
“Houston, Two-Six-Five-Quebec, said Landsberg. “The United States has
we’ve got a problem.” That transmission on the busiest and safest airspace in the
September 20, 2012, from a Beechcraft Baron world, but periodically pilots do face treen route from Baytown, Texas, to Sarasota, mendous life-threatening challenges. In
Florida, was the last communication con- many cases it’s been these controllers who
trollers received, spurring their quick and made the difference between a non-event
persistent action. Unable
and a tragedy.”
to raise the aircraft on
The Air Safety Institute
any frequency, including
is dedicated exclusively to
ON THE
attempted communication
providing continuing pilot
WEB
relays from several comeducation and safety promercial flights, controllers ARCHIE LEAGUE AWARDS
grams for general aviation.
Tony Hanel and Ashley Read more about the 2013 It is funded by donations
Curtsinger coordinated a Archie League Awards regional from individual pilots and
recipients and hear audio clips
rescue based on extremely of the incidents (www.aopa. organizations (www.aopa
limited information when org/2013archie-league).
foundation.org/donate).

104 | AOPA PILOT May 2013

AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

Together we can make a difference. Join AOPA member
philanthropists who have funded AOPA Foundation initiatives
this year (www.aopafoundation.org/donate).
ASI ACCIDENT
CASE STUDIES
NOW IN NEW
LOCATION

The Air Safety Institute Accident
Case Studies series has moved
to a new location on ASI’s website so you can easily find them
all together in one place (www.
airsafetyinstitute.org/ACS).
Each Accident Case Study
is based on an NTSB accident
investigation. The gripping stories have you ride along on the
fateful flight using actual ATC
audio and Microsoft Flight
Simulator footage to attempt to
recreate and decipher what went
wrong—and more important see
why things went from good to
bad. The videos are interspersed
with analysis to help achieve a
better understanding of how to
avoid a similar situation.

ON THE

WEB

ASI’S SPRING SEMINAR:
CHART CHALLENGE—LIVE

Visit the website (www.airsafety
institute.org/seminars) for
dates and locations near you.

http://www.aopafoundation.org/donate http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/ACS http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/ACS http://www.aopa.org/2013archie-league http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars http://www.aopafoundation.org/donate http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/seminars http://www.aopa.org/2013archie-league http://www.aopafoundation.org/donate http://www.aopa.org/2013archie-league

AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2013