WESTERN PACIFIC REGION 24
BRIAN BOND
PHOENIX TRACON
AARON C. FONES
PHOENIX TRACON
CARLTON WICKSTROM
PHOENIX TRACON
On Jan. 19, 2016, a winter weather system was moving through the
northern half of Arizona. It brought snow, gusty winds, low ceilings,
and moderate turbulence throughout the affected airspace sectors of
Phoenix TRACON (P50).
That evening, Carlton Wickstrom received a call from Albuquerque Center
(ZAB). The controller advised Wickstrom that a Cessna 172S en route
to Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR) was having trouble maintaining an
assigned heading.
Wickstrom advised the pilot that Prescott (PRC) was 35 miles to the east if
that was an option she would like to look at. The pilot indicated she would
like to try for PRC.
Wickstrom began to issue no-gyro vectors to get her pointed back
towards PRC.
Wickstrom: Skyhawk 7ME, does it appear your instruments are working,
ma'am?
N347ME: 7ME I mean, it appears so but I know I'm getting tossed around a
lot, so it probably doesn't look like it on your end.
Example of a Cessna 172S
