D Bergendorf
Well-Known Member
In a declared emergency, with a distressed A/C being vectored by TRACON or Center, does ATC have the pilot switch radio frequency? Do any of the A/C under control change frequency?
Emergencies really are a game changer in this line of work. I've had 15-20 airplanes where everything ran smooth as glass. Then I've had 2-3 airplanes that have totally sent me down the flaming crapper. And everything in between.
This reminded me of an instructor going through the academy I was in class with (they spend one turn actually going through on initial hire). Come class introduction time "Yeah my name is Joe, I spent 30 years at the common I, they called me flamer." Digging deeper it turned out he was possibly the only person to shut down NYC for two airplanes. Supervisor runs over asking what the problem is. "Fire". Which one? "Both"
I once declared an emergency going in to Charlotte due to a runaway stabilizer trim in the CRJ. We'd caught in relatively early so the plane was controllable but due to the stabs position I was planning a no flap landing and was thinking it was going to involve both the FO and I pulling back on the elevator as the speed got slow. This happened in cruise and after Atlanta Center passed us off to Charlotte approach the first thing the controller did was ask how controllable the plane was right then and if we were ok with holding for a little bit. Turns out they had two other emergencies inbound (one was a suspected fuel leak) and ours was considered the "least" serious.
@MikeD I think has told a story about something similar to this as well.
@MikeD I think has told a story about something similar to this as well.
MikeD has the king of all of these stories. I've had multiple emergencies also. I've had ones bad enough to name ulcers after. Most of the humor in my post involves the clueless supervisor and how we on the scopes deal with it.
In a declared emergency, with a distressed A/C being vectored by TRACON or Center, does ATC have the pilot switch radio frequency? Do any of the A/C under control change frequency?
Reminded me......
When i was assigned to South Korea one day, I was making a fuel/WX divert into RKNW/K-46, and approach was calling 600/1.5 in rain/fog. Switching to the ROKAF PAR final controller, I get talked down to DH, only to see nothing and go missed, back around the radar pattern. Re-confirming the WX, it's calling 600/1.5 again (PAR mins 100-1/4). Come back around again, down the chute, and go missed. After two more laps around the pattern (and no where else to go), I finally grab a small break in the WX allowing me to pick up the airfield perimeter road and defenses below and slightly ahead (good enough for govt work regards airfield environment), and land. Stuck there for a while, I head to the ROKAF tower to talk to their SOF (Supervisor of Flying), and ask the tower how they have 1.5sm when I can't even see the other side of the runway? Tower controller says (korean accent) "I see 3/4 mile that way, 3/4 mile that way....visibility 1.5 mile". Of course, none of their home-station planes are flying either.
The TF was calling for 1.5 apparently, and the ROK (enlisted) observers apparently don't observe anything less that what the ROK (officer) forecaster forecasted, regardless of whats actually showing outside.