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actually made flying the aircraft harder. The autopilot froze his equipment, making it nearly impossible to turn
off the malfunctioning systems or their alert sirens.
Nines: N5188T I still show you're in a turn there, are you, are you in a turn? Just level your wings, I don't want you
turning there because last time that you did that you ended up going down pretty quickly.
N5188T: Okay I got turned around, I am level, but I'm now turned around, headed uh, 3…3-1-0. Should I turn around?
Nines: N5188T right now I just want you to fly any heading with level wings. I don't want you to make any type of
turns.
N5188T: Fly level wings, keep climbing.
Nines, Hoppe Jr., and Ramirez worked well together to assist the nervous pilot. Nines advised him that turning
during the climb was not necessary and was hindering his ability to maintain his flight heading. Hoppe Jr.
and Ramirez began scouting out the weather at nearby airports and suggested Nines instruct the pilot to
climb to visual flight rules conditions. Nines informed the pilot that nearby Castle Airport (MER) was reporting
visual meteorological conditions (VMC). During this time, the aircraft experienced two more upsets and loss
of altitude. Each time, Nines quickly determined that it involved an unintentional turn and instructed the pilot
to cease rolling the aircraft. Thanks to the teamwork displayed by Nines, Hoppe Jr., and Ramirez, the pilot was
eventually able to return to the ground safely.
RVP Ham Ghaffari:
The incredible work of Ryan, William, and Luis exemplifies the teamwork integral to air traffic
control. During emergency situations every second matters. All hands were immediately
on deck to ensure that the pilot and his two passengers got to the ground safely. The focus
required to assist a pilot through nearly an hour of rough and unpredictable flight cannot be
overstated. I am very proud to represent these dedicated professionals who bring the highest
standard of safety to air traffic control every day.
