Fourth Annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards
New England Region
Audio Recording & Transcript
New England Region Transcript (4:30)
Steve Walsh
Burlington (Vt.) ATCT & TRACON
Audio (windows media)
Pilot
“Burlington Approach, Skylane 70933 with whiskey inbound to Burlington.”
Walsh
“Skylane 70933, Burlington Approach, squawk 0250.”
Pilot
“Uh, 0250, I have a problem however.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 go ahead.”
Pilot
“I’m VFR trapped on top of this overcast at 6,800 and additionally, I have reason to believe my transponder is not working properly.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 roger, you’re instrument rated and equipped?”
Pilot
“Instrument equipped 50% towards the instrument rating.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 roger what’s your position?”
Pilot
“57 miles south of Burlington.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 roger, you’re a mile south of Burlington VOR?”
Pilot
“Negative. That’s 57, 5-7 miles south of Burlington.”
Walsh
“Ok, Skylane 933 roger. Um, ok, standby, I’ll get right back to you.”
Pilot
“Thank you 933.”
Walsh
“Ok just leave it on 7700 for now and your intention is to come to Burlington and you’re looking for clearance through the clouds to land here?”
Pilot
“Roger that. If you could help me with lining up with the ILS for 1-5 I could probably manage that.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 roger. Uh, if I can find someplace with higher weather would you prefer to go someplace with better weather than Burlington, because right now we’ve got winds 0-2-0 at 4, visibility 7, ceiling 400 broken, 1500 overcast, the altimeter 2981.”
Pilot
“Given fuel and given daylight I would prefer to make an attempt at Burlington.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933 roger, how much fuel do you have?”
Pilot
“28 gallons, provisions for almost 3 hours without reserve.”
Walsh
“Ok, Skylane 933 roger, proceed to the Burlington VOR, maintain VFR conditions for now. When I get you over the lake I’ll give you a heading, line you right up with the lake, so there won’t be any terrain around and we’ll just do one nice gradual descent over the lake and then I’ll turn inbound on the ILS.”
Pilot
“Roger that 933.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933, we’re still pretty close if you wanted to go to plan B for the ILS runway 3-5 at Plattsburgh International. I could put you on a dogleg, VFR conditions and it’d be straight in for the 3-5 approach.”
Pilot
“Are visibility and ceiling conditions better over there?”
Walsh
“Uh, we’ll get the current here in a second. We’ve got some older stuff that we’re looking at, but we’re going to dial up the other one and get some fresh weather for you.”
“933 the weather at Plattsburgh is 900 overcast.”
Pilot
“That certainly is better.”
Walsh
“Alright, Skylane 933, maintain VFR conditions. I’m going to recommend that you go to Plattsburgh and fly heading 080. The tops were reported at 5600 right over there on that base leg for that approach.”
Pilot
“Roger that, 080, 933.”
Walsh
“Skylane 933, descend in VFR conditions and again the tops reported at 5600. Don’t go into the tops but just try to get above them and I’ll turn you onto the localizer course above them.”
Pilot
“Roger that. I’ll begin my descent now because I was at 7700.”
Walsh
“Roger.”
“Ok, you ready to do this or do you want to do a turn in VFR before you start?”
Pilot
“No, I think I’m ready, 933.”
Walsh
“Ok, Skylane 933, roger, you are cleared straight in ILS runway 35 approach at Plattsburgh International.”
Pilot
“Cleared for 35, Plattsburgh.”
Walsh
“You are two miles from the runway. It’s a nice long runway so there’s no hurry getting down any lower than that, slightly left of course, one mile from the runway, suggested heading of 355, half a mile from the runway. Ok, I lost the primary target on your aircraft because you’re below my coverage, but the other one shows you within a quarter mile of the runway and you’re probably within a quarter mile either left or right.”
Pilot
“Got ground contact. I got it.”
Walsh
“Ok, good luck.”
Pilot
“I’m going to be alright, thank god.”
Walsh
“You did great.”
|
