A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/1164912
14 On Feb. 6, 2019, Dr. Bernard Heckman and his wife were flying their Cessna T210N (N5132C) from Montgomery County Airpark in Gaithersburg, Md., to Lake Cumberland Regional Airport in Somerset, Ky. They were on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and were flying in high terrain (037 minimum IFR altitude) with many obstacles. The weather had started to deteriorate. A controller working the flight at Indianapolis Center (ZID) noticed the track of N5132C change to a southerly heading. When asked if he was deviating for weather, Dr. Heckman said no, and assured the controller he was correcting his course back towards Somerset (SME). But then the SME airport manager called ZID to inquire about a low-flying aircraft. She had been called by 911 operators with reports that an aircraft was flying dangerously low. Dr. Heckman missed his approach to SME due to the weather and then seemed disoriented and was having trouble flying the aircraft. ZID controller Nick Ferro assisted Dr. Heckman in identifying London-Corbin Airport (LOZ) as a suitable alternative for landing. Ferro called for fellow ZID controller Charles Terry, who is also a pilot, and asked him to plug in on the D-side. They soon traded places at Terry's request. Ferro worked hard on the D-side, managing resources and helping Terry prioritize and manage the other aircraft in the sector. Terry noticed short turns left and right followed by altitude inconsistencies. He asked Dr. Heckman if he had the aircraft on auto pilot and if it was coupled with his GPS. It was. Terry then attempted to vector the aircraft to get him established on a portion of the approach at LOZ. The aircraft was again pointed away from the airport and had a ground speed of only 49 knots. GREAT LAKES REGION Nicholas Ferro and Charles Terry, Indianapolis Center

