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heading. Magnuson continued to calmly instruct the pilot to descend and use oxygen, while another pilot
on frequency broadcasted "Descend man, descend." N2RA started to descend and as it passed 16,000
feet, "He started sounding better. He keyed up and it was the first time it sounded like I was talking to
a pilot who was coherent." When queried, the pilot stated he intended to continue to Pueblo, where he
landed safely.
After N2RA's safe arrival in Pueblo, the pilot called ZKC and expressed his gratitude by saying, "The
controller that continued to talk to me in a calm, professional manner and kept telling me to descend
over and over helped prevent me from passing out, and likely a different outcome."
"Brian and the team from the Prairie area exemplify the professionalism, teamwork,
and safety culture of ZKC. Because those traits are instilled in each team member,
they're ready for any unusual or unexpected situations and produce the best possible
outcomes. These events that occurred on November 17, 2021, were no exception."
– Aaron Merrick, Central Regional Vice President
