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and additional options. Noble42 attempted another
arrested landing on the opposite direction Runway
11 left, but missed the arresting cable. Luckily, there
were two FA-18s inbound and ready to assist. Noble42
requested vectors to NAS Lemoore. Seimas vectored
the pilot south and gave instructions to Navy fighters
to intercept for escort to NAS Lemoore.
Once Seimas handed the aircraft to NAS Lemoore,
he realized that NAS Lemoore had a single runway.
This emergency would shut the airport down. Seimas
knew he had to clear the runway at FAT since it was
the primary divert if NAS Lemoore was unavailable.
Ground personnel at FAT were on the runway
clearing debris when they made a shocking discovery:
Noble42's tailhook had broken off. Ground personnel
contacted the controllers to inform them. Joseph was
able to quickly relay this information to NAS Lemoore
approach at a crucial moment. As a result of this quick
communication, Noble42 was able to land safely at NAS
Lemoore using a flared rollout on their longer runway.
Captain Nathan Agner, who was piloting the F-15
that day, later wrote a letter thanking Seimas for his
work. "Joseph Seimas' exceptional decision-making,
situational awareness, and communication under
pressure were instrumental in the safe recovery of
Noble 42," Agner said. "His leadership in managing
this complex situation prevented a potential disaster
and deserves the highest recognition. I wholeheartedly
recommend Joseph Seimas for this well-deserved award
in acknowledgment of his extraordinary performance."
Congratulations to the 2025 Western
Pacif ic Region Archie League Medal of
Safety Award Winner, Joseph Seimas!
W ESTER N PACIFIC R EGION W ESTER N PACIFIC R EGION
