Super Calm ATC helps distressed VFR pilot Land

The important operational point was not a dramatic final maneuver but the way the controllers preserved communication after the Mooney dropped out of normal radar and radio coverage. The relay through another aircraft kept the emergency aircraft connected to the information it needed to reach the closer runway.

The relay allowed Kansas City Center to continue passing clearances and airport information to the Mooney pilot. The aircraft reached Beaver Airport and landed safely. NATCA later recognized controllers Brett Rolofson and William Keeney for the handling of the emergency.

While the controller was providing the Beaver information, the aircraft descended below the coverage needed to maintain normal radar and radio contact. Rather than losing the aircraft completely, the controller asked Envoy 3315, an American Eagle flight in the area, to establish communications with N345TM and relay information.

The controller first checked weather and range for Perryton Ochiltree County Airport, then suggested Liberal Airport when Perryton was unsuitable. The pilot subsequently reported that Liberal was too far away. Controllers then identified Beaver Airport, K44, as a nearer option.

On June 15, 2015, a single-engine Mooney identified as N345TM was receiving flight following from Kansas City Center while flying toward Lee's Summit, Missouri. An oil-pressure problem forced the pilot to look for a closer airport.

An Oil-Pressure Failure Forced a VFR Pilot to Find a Shorter Runway

The final landing was therefore the result of a sequence of increasingly local decisions: rejecting an unsuitable airport, finding a closer option, recognizing the loss of normal communications and then using Envoy 3315 to bridge the gap. The record supports a safe outcome, while the underlying oil-pressure problem remained the reason the diversion was necessary in the first place.

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