NATCA Bookshelf

4 CENTRAL CENTRAL REGION REGION Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) obscured the visibility around Grand Glaize Airport (K15) on the afternoon of Jan. 2, 2026. At 4:33 p.m., the pilot of N9496M, a Cessna Centurion, was being vectored for the RNAV Runway 32 approach into K15 by Springfield ATCT (SGF) controller John Nygren. The aircraft struggled to maintain assigned headings and drifted off course despite multiple corrective vectors. Recognizing the aircraft was not established on the approach, Nygren canceled it and vectored the aircraft for another attempt. As the aircraft turned inbound on the second approach, the situation quickly evolved into a life-threatening emergency. Nygren noticed it was no longer tracking toward the runway. Instead, N9496M appeared to be circling approximately four miles from the runway threshold. The aircraft also descended rapidly from 2,300 feet to 1,400 feet. The unexpected maneuvering, coupled with the sudden loss of altitude in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), immediately suggested something was seriously wrong. Drawing upon training and lessons learned, Nygren recognized the warning signs of spatial disorientation and a possible graveyard spiral. Without hesitation, he transmitted calm, direct instructions, "Check your wings level. Climb." The pilot responded immediately to the instructions. As Nygren recounts: "One of the things in that training module was making sure that the pilot levels their wings to get them to VFR [Visual Flight Rules] conditions as fast as possible. So, that is one of the things that came to my mind: Get his wings level because he is disoriented and in a spiral." The pilot regained control of the aircraft and reported his avionics were malfunctioning. Even after recovering, he struggled to maintain headings. Anticipating that the pilot's overwhelming workload, Nygren issued precise altitude assignments and offered no-gyro vectors, relying on experience gained working military air traffic operations. By simplifying every instruction and removing the need for navigation, he reduced the pilot's workload. Recognizing that continuing to K15 would unnecessarily increase the risk, Nygren recommended diverting to nearby Springfield- John Nygren Formerly Springfield ATCT SGF, Now at Nashville ATCT BNA John Nygren

• Cover