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SOUTHWEST REGION 22 Megan Baird Fort Worth Center (ZFW) Kerri Fingerson Fort Worth Center (ZFW), now at ZBW On April 23, 2021, the skies over Oklahoma were riddled with areas of precipitation and low ceilings. At 4:51 p.m., N7108Q, a Cessna 172, executed a missed approach at Clinton Regional Airport (CLK). He immediately requested another RNAV approach onto Runway 17. Fort Worth Center (ZFW) member Kerri Fingerson (formerly Phillips) was working a low sector in the Bowie Specialty. She did what every controller would do – radar ID, clarified his intentions, and cleared him back to Clinton Regional. Kerri did ensure the pilot had the most recent weather report which included a visibility of 1.5 nautical miles and an overcast ceiling at 400 feet. Soon after Fingerson cleared and switched N08Q to advisory, she called the tower at neighboring airport to the west, Clinton-Sherman (CSM), to ask about its current weather conditions. The airport was socked in. She inquired north to Kansas, farther west to Elk City (ELK) and south to Wichita Falls (SPS) – all reported low ceilings. Will Rogers Airport (OKC) to the east had better weather conditions, but heavy to extreme precipitation stood in the way. It was then that N08Q missed again. "I had that 'Spidey' sense - that tingling feeling you know - that something just wasn't right," Fingerson recounted. Instead of flying the published missed approach, which is runway heading for 12.5 nautical miles and climbing to 4,000 feet, the pilot made a sharp left turn and checked in with departure at only 2,800 feet. "I knew at that point that he knew he was in trouble even though he really hadn't admitted it verbally yet," Fingerson said. She immediately informed the pilot that minimum IFR altitude was 4,000 feet and instructed him to climb and fly the published missed. Kerri informed the pilot his heading was better and proceeded to give airport weather reports. The pilot responded, "Okay we have about 50 minutes of fuel left. Uh we need to do something quick." Fingerson acted immediately and got on the phone with Sheppard Air Force Base-Wichita Falls Municipal Airport (SPS) to verify its ceiling improved to 1,200 feet overcast. Once she received confirmation, she was back with N08Q to relay that option. The pilot initially said that he was only in a C172, and he By Mary Ann Hall (Houston Hobby ATCT, HOU)

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