US Navy Pilot Nearly Ejects Before ATC helps the aircraft land safely

Around 4 p.m. on an April training day, a flight of two single-engine military training aircraft identified as OSHN154 exited military operating airspace because of an emergency. Memphis Center controllers David Kunzman and Artur Mularczyk were monitoring the military frequency and heard the aircraft announce that it was leaving the area for Naval Air Station Meridian.

When OSHN154 checked in, the crew reported an emergency and said it initially intended to recover at Key Field. The controller asked whether emergency equipment was required and what the problem was. The pilot reported reduced thrust on the aircraft but initially indicated that equipment was not required.

The situation changed quickly. The pilot subsequently reported that he was not sure the aircraft would make Key Field. That made the original recovery plan unsuitable, and the crew began asking about Hesler-Noble Field, 23 miles away. The shorter distance gave the flight another landing option.

The controllers then had to assemble the information needed for a pilot who was already dealing with reduced thrust. Mularczyk's instructor, Kunzman, pulled up the airport's location, runway configuration, UNICOM frequency and wind information. Mularczyk relayed that information to the aircraft and cleared the flight toward Hesler-Noble.

The center could not reliably receive the airport's UNICOM frequency, so the controllers asked another aircraft on frequency to monitor the local frequency and relay any information. Before that additional relay was needed, the center received word that OSHN154 had landed safely. The wingman continued the mission and returned to base.

The event was later recognized by NATCA through the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards. The organization's account says the pilot later contacted Memphis Center and told the facility that without the rapid assistance from the controllers, he would have had to eject. That statement describes the pilot's own assessment after the event; it is not a substitute for an independent mishap investigation.

NATCA's account provides a rare level of detail about the controller workload. The two controllers were working a sector containing military operating areas as well as military training, general-aviation and commercial traffic. When OSHN154 announced its emergency, the controllers did not initially know the severity. Once the pilot reported reduced thrust and uncertainty about reaching Key Field, the problem changed from a precautionary recovery to a time-sensitive airport selection problem.

The choice of Hesler-Noble was based on distance and immediately usable information. Kunzman pulled the airport coordinates, runway configuration, UNICOM frequency and wind information, and Mularczyk relayed those details to the pilot. The center then arranged an additional layer of communication by asking another aircraft to monitor the airport's UNICOM frequency because the center's reception was unreliable.

The event is particularly useful because the source identifies what the controllers actually did rather than simply crediting them with a generic 'save.' They selected a closer airport, obtained its essential operational data, passed it to the pilot, provided a descent and clearance, and arranged backup communications. The pilot subsequently reported that the aircraft could not have reached Meridian and that the assistance prevented the need to eject.

What the Records Show: “there was no way they were going to make it to Meridian Airport”

Accident Facts

Sources

NATCA account: https://natca.org/2022/09/07/southern-region-david-kunzman-artur-mularczyk-memphis-center-zme/ NATCA Archie League awards: https://natca.org/community/awards/2022-archie-league-medal-of-safety-award-winners/ Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXxFs10klc0