"You Just Saved My Life Ice cool atc helps the aircraft land safely

December 10, 2011 — Mooney, pilot Jim Lawson — Renton, Washington

The Mooney was already running out of fuel when the controller noticed that the pilot was turning away from the airport he was trying to reach. The aircraft was above a cloud layer, and the pilot was struggling to follow headings. Controllers coordinated around the situation, stopped departures at Renton and guided the aircraft down. It reached visual conditions near the airport and landed safely.

Controllers had to manage fuel exhaustion above a cloud layer

Jim Lawson's Mooney was above a cloud layer when the second fuel tank ran dry. He had departed in good weather, but conditions at his destination deteriorated and the alternate he considered also became unsuitable. The engine eventually quit while Lawson was still above the clouds.

Seattle TRACON coordinated with Renton, Boeing Field and Sea-Tac while controllers worked to find a route through the cloud layer. Ken Greenwood provided headings, Ryan Herrick supervised the assistance and Josh Haviland helped with the emergency.

Lawson broke out of the cloud layer at about 2,200 feet. Greenwood directed him toward Renton and then noticed that the airplane was turning toward Boeing Field. That correction mattered because the Renton approach required the airplane to clear a thrust barrier before landing.

The engine reportedly restarted briefly when fuel reached it again, but the aircraft ultimately landed at Renton. NATCA later recognized the controllers for the handling of the emergency.

The controller's correction toward Renton was not merely a change of destination. The pilot was descending through the cloud layer and had limited fuel, so each turn had to be consistent with the remaining glide and the terrain and airport environment below. The controllers also coordinated other traffic so that the emergency airplane had a clear path to the runway.

The emergency also ended with the aircraft on a normal airport surface rather than a forced landing away from the runway. The controllers' work preserved that option until Lawson could see Renton and complete the approach.

The controller assistance was recognized by NATCA after the event, but the recognition does not change the factual sequence. Lawson was low on fuel, above cloud, and ultimately landed at Renton after the controllers coordinated the airspace and corrected his routing.

Accident Facts

“Had Seattle TRACON (S46) certified professional controller-in-training Ken Greenwood - an 18-year veteran of Boeing Field (BFI) with extensive knowledge of the area around Renton - not noticed quickly that the pilot was in fact turning away from RNT (toward BFI), the aircraft would have possibly hit”

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