NATCA Bookshelf

Southwest Region "Sometimes in life, we don't always get to thank our benefactors," wrote pilot Scott Spencer in a letter to D10 TRACON. Thanks to the actions of Douglas Wynkoop and Natasha Hodge, Scott Spencer was able to do just this. One a VRA developmental, one a 27-year veteran; both proved skill and resolve be- yond measure with the terrific work they displayed on Dec. 7, 2009 when faced with a confused and disoriented experi- mental aircraft in distress. Natasha Hodge was working her certifi- cation ride on this particular evening when Spencer, on an instrument flight plan, checked onto frequency inbound to Fort Worth Meacham Airport. Hodge watched carefully as the aircraft went from an assigned altitude of 3,000 on a heading of 315, to 1,700 feet on a heading of 065 in just 24 seconds. Witnessing the drastic flight loops taking place in front of her, she again calmly in- structed Spencer to the assigned altitude, but this time, the aircraft continued to climb to as high as 5,200 feet. HODGE: Are you having any difficulties? N300SX: I had a little problem with my, uh, GPS on the approach. Now with the specific problem defined, Hodge assigned headings for an ILS ap- proach. The cloud ceiling of 600 feet overcast and the visibility of half a mile precluded anything but an instrument ap- proach. Once again, however, she was forced to redirect the aircraft due to the pilot's series of erratic turns and difficulty tracking the localizer. "You're way below the glide scope… the localizer two thousand five hundred down there at Cowtown," she explained to the pilot. "Climb and maintain three thousand. Cancel approach clearance. Fly present heading." Persistent to try one more time, Hodge is- sued no-gyro vectors to final. "We're… we're in trouble. It's, uh, losin' power," responded Spencer, now notice- ably worried about the situation he had found himself in. "Jet Speed thirty-five, turn left heading three-six-zero immediately," Hodge promptly advised over frequency to a nearby aircraft as she continued to work the sector in addition to assisting the ex- perimental aircraft. Witnessing the extensive length of time Hodge had spent thus far assisting the aircraft and taking into account the rap- idly-intensifying situation, Douglas Wynkoop stepped in to take over the sit- uation. He immediately redirected other aircraft in the area while, at the same time, turning the distressed aircraft away from an antennae which now lay in its path of descent. The aircraft was able to regain power and, after witnessing the previous three missed approaches and knowing there was less than 40 minutes of fuel with no airports reporting VFR conditions within the limit of flying time, Wynkoop suggested an ASR approach into Navy Fort Worth after exhausting all other op- tions. With the excellent assistance of the GCA controllers at Navy Fort Worth, the ASR approach and landing was success- ful. 20

• Cover