FlightFollowerPilot Unable to Navigate Without GPS Is Talked Down by a Controller
A Mooney M20F operating IFR in the New York area became increasingly difficult for its pilot to control as turbulence, wind and rain disrupted the flight. The aircraft descended below safe minimum vectoring altitude, climbed and then descended again. The pilot became confused by ATC instructions and increasingly dependent on an iPad for navigation, even as its battery was nearly exhausted. Controller Jeffrey Schuler isolated the emergency, redirected the aircraft toward a usable airport and repeatedly brought the pilot's attention back to aircraft control.
Research and reconstruction
Flight Follower Editorial Team
This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.
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Accident Facts
- Date
- 22 December 2015
- Registration
- N9525M
The aircraft was already below safe margins
NATCA's account records a severe altitude problem before the iPad became the central issue. N9525M descended to 700 feet, climbed to 1,800 feet and then descended to 800 feet near Islip/MacArthur Airport. Two radio towers in the area stood 643 and 821 feet high.
The pilot reported that turbulence, wind and rain made it difficult to hold altitude and headings. Controllers therefore had to manage both navigation and the immediate risk of terrain or obstacle clearance.
The controller simplified the problem
Schuler checked weather and initially chose Stewart Airport because its conditions and runway length offered a more practical landing option. The aircraft did not reliably follow the assigned vectors, however, and at times circled and lost altitude.
Management moved other aircraft to another frequency so Schuler could devote his attention to N9525M. The controller also repeatedly checked the fuel state. When the pilot later reported an engine loss, Schuler directed the aircraft toward Sikorsky Memorial Airport, where a suitable approach could be made.
The failing tablet became a distraction
The pilot was using an iPad as a major navigation reference and reported that its battery was nearly exhausted. The problem was not simply that the battery might reach zero; the pilot was becoming distracted by the device while already struggling to maintain the aircraft's attitude and assigned headings.
Schuler therefore changed the emphasis. Instead of allowing the pilot to continue chasing a failing GPS display, he directed the aircraft toward the airport and supplied vectors for a conventional VOR approach. The pilot eventually broke out of cloud at about 600 feet AGL and completed a circling approach to Runway 29.
The documented finding
“Forget the GPS. Level your wings. Fly the aircraft. Do that first.” — Jeffrey Schuler, as quoted by NATCA
Conclusion
The event's central problem was workload. The pilot was operating in difficult weather, struggling to maintain altitude and headings, and relying on a navigation device that was itself becoming unreliable. Schuler's response was to reduce complexity: isolate the frequency, choose a workable airport, monitor fuel, provide simpler vectors and repeatedly return the pilot's attention to aircraft control. The successful landing followed once the pilot regained enough control to use the runway environment.