Do You Declare an Emergency?

A young girl suddenly finds herself alone in weather.

Julie felt excitement tinged with just a bit of apprehension when she arrived at LoneStar Aviation for her flying lesson. With over 70 hours of flight time as a pilot she was beginning to really feel comfortable in the cockpit. She had her private license and was working on her instrument ticket. Today, she was scheduled to fly with her flight instructor, Ben Jensen and practice instrument approaches.

“Well, I won’t be under the hood1 today,” she thought. “Weather report said the ceiling was 1000 feet and a solid cloud deck to 8000. We will have real IMC2 today.”

Entering LoneStar’s operations office she saw Alice Bell, the receptionist. “Hi Alice!” said Julie, smiling and waving as she walked by the desk.

Looking up Alice said, “Hi Julie! Mr. Jensen asked that you see him as soon as you arrived. He is in his office.”

Julie frowned inwardly and thought, “Is the flight off? Has something happened?”

“Ok, Alice. Is there a problem?” she asked.

“Don’t know Julie, He didn’t say,” responded Alice.

Ben Jensen’s office reflected the life of a man who had spent over forty years flying. There were pictures on the walls showcasing many of the airplanes he had flown during his many years. Other pictures were of him and other aviators, some famous and some not so famous. Above his desk was a wooden propeller, mounted like a trophy deer head. Every flat surface was covered with flying paraphernalia; magazines, models, teaching tools, flight computers and charts.

Irregardless of the mess, Julie knew that in the airplane he was neat, professional and all perceiving. There were few mistakes that got pass his experience eyes.

“Morning Julie!” he said looking up from a computer printout.

“Good morning Mr. Jensen. Alice said to see you right away?” queried Julie.

“Yes, something has come up. It seems...”

“I was afraid of that,” said Julie disappointed and interrupting. “Do you want me to reschedule?”

“Now Julie if you would let me finish!”

“Sorry!” she interrupted again.

Shaking his head and smiling he commanded, “Sit down!”

Julie sat down!

“Now will you allow me to speak without interruption?” he asked with a fatherly smile.

Julie nodded her head.

He continued, “A local company manufactures some kind of specialty computer board that is used by the offshore drilling rigs. One of these computers went bad on an oil production platform and the entire thing is shut down until they can get a replacement.”

“I have been asked to fly the replacement board down to Galveston, where a helicopter will then fly it out to the platform. I was thinking that, if you wanted, this would be a wonderful real world flying opportunity. We could take the computer board to Galveston in the 210. You would get to do some real IFR flying, along with acquiring some complex and high performance aircraft time. The best part is that it won’t cost you a dime. The oil company is paying for the flight.”

“Really, Mr. Jensen! that would be wonderful,” exclaimed Julie. “I would love it.”

“Ok, call your parents to clear it. Tell them we should be back around 8:30 tonight.”

He continued, “Here is our flight plan. I’ve already worked it up. We should be departing runway 17 to the Basto fix3 then with the wonders of GPS4 going direct to Galveston’s feeder fix for an ILS approach and landing to runway 13. Call flight service and file us.

“The computer part is not due here for another forty-five minutes. I will want to go over the cockpit layout of the 210 with you. It is a little different than what you have been flying. You need to be familiar with it and the faster airspeeds.

“Oh, and one more thing. When you file the flight plan, use a 9:00 UTC5 departure,” he finished.

Julie left the office, called her mother and told her about the changes. She then filed the flight plan and went out to the Cessna 210 Centurion. By 2:45 local time they were cranking the engine and ready to go.

“Austin clearance, this is Cessna Centurion N6234 X-ray with information Barvo, IFR to BASTO,” said Julie over the radio.

“Cessna 34 X-ray, you are cleared BASTO, INDUSTRY direct Galveston,” Answered the radio.

Julie keyed the mike, “Copy 34 X-ray is cleared Basto, Industry then direct Galveston.”

“Read back correct, 34 X-ray.”

Julie looked at Ben, “They are sending us to the Industry VOR before we are cleared to Galveston.”

“Yes”, answered Ben. “That’s OK, we will just insert Industry into the GPS flight plan. It is only a few minutes out of our way”

Ten minutes later they were airborne and heading to Galveston’s Scholes International Airport.

“Well!” thought Julie. “That was cool. The flight to Galveston was awesome. I flew well, shot a good approach and landing. Mr. Jensen even bought me dinner, compliments of the oil company. So here we go again, time to go home.”

“I am ready for takeoff, you ready?” she asked as she turned to face Mr. Jensen.

“You OK sir? You look ill.”

“Just a touch of indigestion, Julie,” he said. “Must have been something I ate. I have had it a couple times during the last week or so. I guess I will need to see the doctor. Just been busy.”

“Yes, I’m ready. Lets go,” he managed to say.

Julie keyed the mike, “Tower, N34 X-ray is ready for takeoff.”

“34 X-ray you are cleared for takeoff, Runway 13. Climb and maintain 5000. Contact departure on 134.45, altimeter 3004”

“Roger, 34 X-ray is cleared for takeoff runway 12, climb and maintain 5000, departure on 134.45, altimeter 3004,” echoed Julie.

She added power to the engine and taxied onto the runway. Then adding full power she focused on keeping the airplane on the center line of the runway as it accelerated. At 80 knots she applied gentle back pressure on the yoke and the airplane left the runway. A few seconds later the gear came up and they entered into the clouds. Julie then focused her attention on using the instruments to fly the airplane.

Ten minutes later she leveled off at 5000 feet and trimmed the airplane for level flight.

The radio crackled, “Cessna 34 X-ray, expect direct Austin in five minutes. I need to get you around some Houston traffic.

“34 X-ray copies,” replied Julie.

“This extension will bring us east of then back over Houston through all that traffic,” said Julie to Ben.

When he didn’t reply she turned to look in his direction.

“Mr. Jensen? MR. JENSEN!!” cried Julie. “ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

Ben Jensen didn’t answer. He was unconscious and slumped toward the door.

“MR JENSEN?” cried Julie once again. She reached over and touched him. He fell forward brushing the control yoke.

“OH MY GOD! MR JENSEN WHAT’S THE MATTER?” screamed Julie to the unconscious man.

She reached with both hands, grabbed him and pulled him back upright. She tried to feel for a pulse but in her fear she wasn’t sure if he had one or not. She pulled on the shoulder strap to tighten the shoulder harness keeping him upright.

“November 34 X-ray, I show you 400 below altitude.”

“OH my God, what am I going to do?” thought Julie, not hearing the radio call. “He might die up here.”

“November 34 X-ray, do you copy? You are 500 below altitude and decending.”

“Mr. Jensen, Mr. Jensen, say something!!” cried Julie “PLEASE!”

“November 34 X-ray do you copy me, you are 600 off altitude descending and turning.” said the controller with a hint of fear in his otherwise professional voice.

“53 Nancy turn to 280 I have a Cessna 210 Centurion descending into your altitude.”

“Huh?” thought Julie

“Roger, turning to 280, 53 Nancy” said the other airplane.

“OH MY GOD!” exclaimed Julie out loud as she realized what was happening to the airplane.

Looking at the attitude indicator6 she saw that she was in a descending left turn. The airspeed was increasing and she was losing altitude. Grabbing the yoke she rolled the airplane wings level and pulled backwards to stop the descent.

“NOVEMBER 6234 X-RAY, THIS IS HOUSTON CENTER DO YOU COPY?” blared the radio.

“Err… Houston, yes…err.. sorry…..34 X-ray copies.”

“Houston…. Err..34 X-ray has a problem.” Julie mumbled as she started climbing back to her assigned altitude of 5000 feet.

“State the nature of your problem, 34 X-ray, “ replied Houston center, relieved to hear from her.

“Errr.. Houston center something has happened to my flight instruction he isn’t moving. He is slumped over and won’t answer me.” stammered Julie.

“I don’t know if he is alive?” she fearfully said.

“Is he breathing, 34 X-ray?” inquired the controller.

“I’m not sure….. I think so…I tried to see if he had a pulse… I can’t tell. Oh my God…”

“Copy 34 X-ray. Maintain your current heading and altitude,” the voice replied.

Then after a slight pause, “Are you declaring an emergency?”

“Emergency?... Errr.. I.. I don’t know,” stammered Julie, unable to think clearly.

“Hon, do it. He can help you.” Came a calm female voice over the radio.

“I concur.” Came another voice, this one male, breaking Julie’s stupor.

“YES, YES, 34 X-RAY IS DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.” Yelled Julie into the microphone.

Houston Center copies, November 6234 X-ray has declared an emergency,” stated the controller for Julie and the tape recorder.

“Are you IFR qualified, 34 X-ray?”

“Err.. No, I am a VFR pilot with about 15 hours instrument training.”

“Roger 34 X-ray. You are doing fine. We will help you,” said the controller trying to maintain a calm professional voice as he thought of his daughter at home. He suspected by the sound of Julie’s voice that they were about the same age.

“34 X-ray, what are your intentions?” asked the controller for the record.

“I want to land ASAP and get help for Mr. Jensen.”

“Roger 34 X-ray. We have contacted Ellington Field southeast of Houston. They have emergency crews and an ambulance standing by. You are not far for there. I can vector you to the ILS for runway 17 Right.”

“Ok……. 34X-ray”

“United 21, American 101 and Southwest 34, I will have to hold you for 10 minutes. Have an emergency in progress.”

“34 X-ray, come to a heading of 040.” Squawk 7700”

“040, squawk 7700, 34 X-ray,” replied Julie automatically, as she turning the airplane and set the transponder to the emergency setting of 7700. Her airplane now stood out from all others to every radar controller within range.

Julie flew the directed heading and tried to clear her mind. There was a knot of fear in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. She didn’t seem to be having any trouble controlling the plane in the clouds. But, could she fly the approach and landing in this weather? Both of their lives depended on her doing it alone.

To take her mind off of their troubles, she started checking every instrument and switch position in the airplane. She got out the approach book and opened it to the ILS7approach to runway 17R at Ellington.

“34 X-ray contact Ellington approach on one two two niner they will help you, good luck.”

“122.9 34 X-ray….thanks,” repeated Julie before she changed the radio frequency.

The knot in her stomach was worst as she keyed the mike, “Ellington 34 X-ray is with you at 5000.”

“Radar contact 34 X-ray. We will set you up for an ILS approach to runway 17 right.”

Suddenly, another voice came over the radio. This voice was more casual than the professional controller voices.”

“34 X-ray, this is Major Tom Hicks. I am the Supervisor of flying tonight for the Air Guard. It is my job to see that aircraft landing at Ellington do so safely. I will be helping you land tonight. Errr… may I ask your name 34 X-ray?”

“Julie sir, Julie Edwards.”

“Well, Julie…. I have over 5500 hours of flying time in all sorts of aircraft, including Cessna’s. I was a flight instructor for three years training Air Force pilots. I promise I will get you safely on the ground. Just try to relax and imagine me in the airplane next to you. OK?”

“ I will try sir.”

“You may call me Tom, Julie.” He continued, “Do you remember the three things they taught you to do in an emergency?” He continued before she could answer, “aviate, navigate and communicate.”

“Yes.”

“Good, Julie you are doing the first. You are aviating. You are doing it well. You just keep focusing on flying the airplane.

“With me is Sergeant Mike Rodriguez. Sgt. Rodriguez has been a controller for over 15 years. He can see you on the radar. He will help you navigate.

“Sgt Rodriguez will call your position in relation to the center line of the runway. He will also call off your altitude as you descend. He will tell if you are above, on or below the glideslope8. So, he will back you up on the ILS.

“That leaves communicate, Julie. I will do that for you. I will talk you through the approach and back you up on the checklists. Don’t worry about answering me if you are too busy. If I talk too much, tell me to shut up

“Just remember that your job is to fly the airplane. Ok Julie?”

“Yes sir,” she answered. “I will.”

“I know you will Julie. I have complete confidence in you,” replied Maj. Hicks, not feeling all the confidence he hoped he was projection to that poor frightened girl.

“Now Julie, tell me is the airplane trimmed up for level flight?”

“I think so…… wait…….Ok it is,” answered Julie.

“Ok Julie, I want you to slowly let the yoke go. You may push the mike button to answer but let the yoke go.”

“OK, I have…. It is maintaining level flight.”

“Good!” responded Maj. Hicks. “Now Julie I want you to relax, shake your fingers, wiggle them to relax. Then grab the yoke again, but hold it gently. Think of it as an egg you don’t want to break by squeezing too hard.”

“Ok, I have it again.”

“Excellent Julie you are a great student,” he responded.

“We will be descending you to 3000 feet shortly. So let’s start getting ready. Go over your before decent checklist. You may read the items out loud to me as you do them.”

Julie goes thorough the checklists with Maj. Hicks. Sergeant Rodriguez tells her to descend to 3000 feet and turn to a heading of 174. He tells her that she is 25 miles out.

“You are doing well, Julie. You are 23 miles out. At 20 we will bring you down to 2000 until you intercept the glidepath. Make sure your number one nav is tuned to 110.3. The CDI needle should be centered.”

Julie sets the navigation radio to the proper frequency. The needle swings to the center position. She sees the DME9 read 22 miles. Taking a deep breath she tries to steady her nerves and calm her fears for the approach.

“I can do this, I have done it before,” she says out loud to herself. Still, she feels sick in the stomach. “Please, God help me!” she prays. “I’m scared.”

The radio comes to life, once again with the calm professional voice of Sgt. Rodriguez. “34 X-ray, you are 20 miles on glide path on glideslope. Wind 183 at 10, altimeter 3003”

“Ok Julie,” broke in Maj. Hicks. “Time to slow down and configure for landing. Do you remember the GLUMP check?”

“Yes sir, Gas, Lights, Undercarriage, Mixture and Prop,” recited Julie from memory.

“Excellent, then let’s do the before landing checklist.”

Julie, checks the fuel settings, lowers the landing gear, turns on the landing lights and sets the mixture and prop controls. She rechecks the rest of the checklist and sees that it was in order. Doing so gives her some measure of comfort.

The radio brakes her calmness, “Fifteen miles, left of glide path slightly high of glide path.”

“Shit”, thinks Julie. She looks over the instruments. “I am too fast and too far left.”

She pulls off a little power and turns a couple degrees to the right.

“You are looking good, Julie,” says Maj. Hicks. “Keep it up.” You should break out and see the ground at about 1000 feet. The rabbit10 and runway lights are turned up to full intensity.

“Don’t be shocked by the fire trucks and their red lights. They are only a precaution. The ambulance is waiting and ready for your passenger.”

“Ten miles and right of glide path, slightly below glide path.” Announces the voice of Sgt. Rodriguez. Julie turns to correct her course and adds a little power to the engine.

“Where is that runway?” she thinks, as she peers out the windshield looking for any sign of lights.

“Below glide path, 1500 feet.” Says the radio.

Julie adds more power.

“Left of glide path.” It’s that damn voice again.

“Damnit, I’m trying!” thinks Julie, as she chases the needles.

“Relax Julie. You are Ok just keep flying it to the ground,” comforts Maj. Hicks.

Julie, takes a deep breath. Releasing one hand she shakes it., clenches and unclenches her fingers, then she does the same with the other hand.

“Where are those lights?” worries Julie.

“1000 feet slightly left of the glide path” announces the radio.

“LIGHTS, WHERE ARE THE DAMN LIGHTS, a scared Julie wonders.

THERE! A bright white light running toward the runway appears out of the clouds just ahead and to the left. In seconds the runway lights appear out of the mist. They are the most beautiful things Julie has ever seen.

“Approaching decision height” drones the radio but Julies doesn’t hear or care anymore.

“34 X-RAY HAS THE RUNDWAY,” shouts Julie over the radio, in joy.

“Copy 34 X-ray, you are cleared to land,” announces the voice of Sgt. Rodriguez.

Julie checks again that the gear is down, lines up with the runway. As it fills the windshield she pulls back on the yoke, slowing her descent, holding, holding and touching, first one wheel then the other onto the runway.

“WELCOME home 34 X-ray, take next exit if able. When clear of runway, shut down. Ambulance and Maj. Hicks will meet you.”

High fives and shouts of joy ring out in the cockpits of 37 airplanes still flying. For unbeknown to Julie each of them had switched their spare radio to her frequency and were following the entire sequences of events. Many were praying for her, others just silently encouraged her in their thoughts. You see, Julie is a member of the fraternity of aviators and aviatrixes. She was never alone in that cockpit.

Notes:

1. Hood – Device used to keep a pilot from seeing outside the cockpit. Used during instrument flight training.

2. IMC – Instrument Weather Conditions – Weather that requires a flight to be done under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) vs. VFR or Visual Flight Rules

3. Fix – A point in space that is marked on IFR charts and named.

4. GPS – Global Positioning System – A method of navigation using satellites and equipment in the airplane.

5. UTC – Universal Coordinated Time – Standard time used by pilots throughout the world.

6. Attitude Instrument – One of the primary flight instruments. It shows the attitude of the airplane against an artificial mechanical horizon.

7. ILS – Instrument Landing System – A precision landing approach using radios.

8. Glideslope/Glide path – The flight path that will take the airplane to the runway during an ILS approach

9. DME – Distance Measurement Equipment – An instrument that tells you how far you are away from the radio device to which you are tuned. One use is in an ILS approach.

10. Rabbit – A string of very high intensity strobe lights that go off in sequence, so it looks like a single light running toward the runway.

Jennifer Ann

Copyright 2003