GREAT LAKES REGION 12
DAVID STEMPIEN
CLEVELAND CENTER
On Oct. 1, 2016, a Beechcraft 35-33 was on Cleveland Center (ZOB)
frequency, climbing to a requested 9,000 feet. Five minutes later, an open
microphone broadcast the sound of panic as a weather anomaly caused
the pilot to lose control of the aircraft.
N305Z: Help [unreadable]. [heavy breathing] [screaming]. Let go of the yoke.
Let go of the yoke. Let go of the yoke. [unreadable].
Stempien: Alright. Is everybody okay 305Z? You alright?
Stempien: N305Z, are you with Cleveland?
ZOB Morgantown sector radar controller David Stempien immediately
recognized the call was from the aircraft and attempted to assist the
pilot, asking several times if he was okay. With each radar update, the
altitude readout told a terrifying story: 8,100; 7,400; 8,500; 7,800; 6,900;
and, finally, 5,000 feet.
Eventually, the pilot responded and Stempien issued guidance to "follow
your instruments," and "trust your instruments," in an effort to help the
pilot regain control.
The aircraft had gotten into a very bad updraft that caused the pilot to
completely lose control. The pilot said, "I went way up, no matter what I
did it was still climbing and then all the sudden it let go the other way."
Stempien responded, "You're fine. You're fine. I'm showing you level at
5,000 now."
Example of a Beechcraft 35-33
