20 Apr 20257:13 reconstruction966 views

The Piper Cherokee That Reached Bangor With Almost No Margin Left

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On the cloudy night of April 20, 2025, a VFR Piper Cherokee headed for Belfast found the airport unusable in fog. Bangor controllers then worked with the pilot through two approaches, worsening weather and a fuel problem before the Cherokee finally reached the runway.

“completely socked in with fog.”

Timeline
1
April 20, 2025, around 11 p.m. — N7471W checked onto Bangor Approach while operating VFR toward Belfast.
2
Later — The pilot reported that Belfast was obscured by fog and asked Bangor for assistance.
3
During the first Bangor attempt — The controllers provided an ILS approach.
4
After one failed attempt — The pilot’s remaining fuel became critical and he reported an empty tank during the final sequence.
5
Final approach — The pilot saw the runway from about half a mile away.
6
Afterward — N7471W landed safely at Bangor.

Belfast Disappears Into Fog

NATCA’s 2025 Archie League account identifies the aircraft as N7471W and the controllers as Joshua Costello and Bryan Loquet. The Piper was operating VFR toward Belfast Airport, southwest of Bangor, when the pilot returned to the Bangor frequency and reported that Belfast was completely obscured by fog.

The weather around Bangor and nearby airports was also poor. The pilot was not instrument-rated, so the controllers had to work within the pilot’s capabilities while finding a usable landing option. The pilot requested help getting into Bangor.

Costello provided an ILS approach and later an ASR approach. After the first attempt failed, the fuel situation became critical. NATCA reports that the pilot said he had about one hour and fifteen minutes of fuel remaining when the controllers first asked.

One Tank Was Empty

On the final attempt, the pilot reported that one fuel tank was empty. Despite the worsening situation, the aircraft continued toward Bangor and the pilot eventually saw the runway from about half a mile away.

The Piper landed safely. NATCA later recognized Costello and Loquet with the 2025 New England Region Archie League Medal of Safety Award for their handling of the incident.

The award record is especially useful because it preserves the sequence without requiring assumptions about the pilot’s intentions. The emergency developed through a combination of poor weather, the limitations of a VFR pilot in instrument conditions and decreasing fuel, while the controllers kept the aircraft on a manageable frequency and worked toward a landing.

The NATCA award record adds that Costello and Loquet coordinated with other facilities while looking for an airport with acceptable weather. The pilot preferred Bangor because it had a larger runway. The controllers also kept the aircraft on a manageable communications path instead of forcing an unnecessary handoff while the pilot was under pressure.

The final approach was therefore not a single dramatic transmission but a sequence of adjustments. The controllers supplied weather, approach information, headings and corrections while the pilot attempted to keep the Cherokee aligned. When the aircraft finally became visually oriented to the runway, the landing could be completed. NATCA later recognized both controllers for the handling of the event.

Accident Facts

Incident date
20 Apr 2025
Registration
N7471W
Aircraft
Piper
Category
Emergency, Fuel, Weather
Reconstruction
7:13

Sources

Audio from the original air traffic control recording, sourced from public recordings and released investigation records. The reconstruction, animation and written account are our own.
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