AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022 - 45

Archie League Medal of Safety
Award recipients
" They didn't seem overly
nervous, every word they said
to the pilot was necessary and
exactly technically correct...They
didn't just do everything right,
they also did nothing wrong. "
-NATCA President Rich Santa
Alaska Region
Brent Eber and Nathan Midthun of Merrill Field Tower (MRI),
for early recognition of and assisting an engine-out Douglas
DC-3 and clearing the runway of a snowplow, which the
snowplow operator says saved his life.
Central Region
Brian Magnuson of Kansas City Center (ZKC), for recognizing
hypoxia in a pilot who had just reported pressurization
problems and repeatedly instructing the pilot to descend and
don oxygen, communication that the pilot later said prevented
him from passing out.
technically correct...They didn't just do everything
right, they also did nothing wrong. I
am pleased that we can give this save and the
controllers involved the additional recognition
that it deserves. "
A general aviation pilot battling high winds
and icing; a Mitsubishi MU-2 pilot experiencing
hypoxia; a military training aircraft
with engine trouble-all of these time-critical
emergencies ended positively with the help
of air traffic controllers who were honored at
the conference highlighted by presentations
of NATCA's Archie League Medal of Safety,
awarded annually to individual controllers or
teams of controllers for one " remarkable and
extraordinary " save from each air route traffic
control center region. Named for the first
air traffic controller, the award began in 2004,
and nominations and voting are carried out by
NATCA members. The Archie League honorees
were not alone. The AOPA Air Safety Institute
Flight Assist Commendations, which recognize
controllers for exceptional service, situational
awareness, and teamwork in assisting GA
pilots in dire circumstances, were presented by
Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President
Richard McSpadden, who addressed the
NATCA conference.
" We came up with this award because
we know if you could measure the accidents
that don't happen, you'd make a tremendous
impact on safety, " said McSpadden. " If you
could measure the accidents that don't happen
because of a calm, confident, supportive
controller on the other end of the line, I'm sure
we'd have a wall over here filled with pilots'
names. " alicia.herron@aopa.org
Eastern Region
David Lomascolo and Eric Lomascolo of Potomac Tracon
(PCT), for teamwork to vector a pilot onto the Frederick,
Maryland, ILS during high wind and icing conditions after two
missed approaches.
Great Lakes Region
Darren Groce of Indianapolis ATCT (IND), for assisting a pilot
in training in the traffic pattern on safely returning to the
airport for a forced landing after a fuel pump failure.
New England Region
Patrick Sullivan of Boston ATCT (BOS), for averting a runway
incursion that could have resulted in a life-threatening event.
Northwest Mountain Region
Morgan Farmer and Jake Zakrzewski of Denver Center (ZDV),
for helping a pilot in icing conditions and severe turbulence
land safely while avoiding mountainous terrain.
Southern Region
David Kunzman and Artur Mularczyk of Memphis Center
(ZME), for assisting a military training aircraft experiencing
engine trouble in finding a suitable alternate field than its
home base of Naval Air Station Meridian; the pilot stated later
that without their help, he would have had to eject.
Southwest Region
Kerri Fingerson and Megan Baird of Fort Worth Center (ZFW),
for assisting the pilot of a low-fuel Cessna 172 finding a
suitable landing field in instrument conditions.
Western Pacific Region
Colby Alford, Matthew Cox, Dan Hauptman, and Eric Joe of
Las Vegas Tracon (L30), for helping a noninstrument-rated
pilot who made an unplanned flight in Class A airspace safely
return to Earth through severe spatial disorientation.
AOPA PILOT / December 2022
45
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022

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