Plan B? The alternate destination? Now what? Ohhhh shucks!!! Where are we? Where can I go? I am sure these were some of the many thoughts that were going around in this commuter (junior jet) pilots head during this ordeal. These scenarios are hard to watch on television now because of all the computer graphics that can show what happens to the airplane during the final seconds. It is even tougher when you are in the same airspace, listening to the actual pilot transmissions on the radio that
makes it that much more gut wrenching. About once a year while I am flying over the fruited plains, (this spring it has been the flooded plains) I hear on the radio the fearful call of a pilot in trouble. Usually it is a little airplane pilot who has lost his GPS signal and now cannot seem to find where they are suppose to be at. After they describe the ground below the airplane someone on the frequency can usually tell them the direction to and the name of a nearby city. Well such was the case this fine flying Saturday afternoon until a line of thunderstorms popped up and caused havoc in the St. Louis area. Two hundred miles East of St. Louis the “slow to 250 knots” words were issued to TWA LLC (LLC -Lawyer mumbo jumbo) flight 607, meaning that we are backed up in St. Louis
and may even have to hold for a while. Over the Vandalia VOR (navigational aid 60 east of St. Louis) the holding instructions were issued and the hold time was for 45 minutes. Well as the first officer was getting his practice doing turns in the holding pattern I discussed alternate plans where we could land. As we held at 20,000 feet the first officer commented about the “Junior Jet” that was flying above us at 21,000 feet. He told me how he was “working hard” in the DC-9 and that those guys in the Embraer 145 “Junior jet” (“JJ”) just press buttons and the plane does “everything” automatic. Like what I asked? When you get into icing conditions it turns on the anti-ice stuff and it tunes and identifies all the navigation radios and tracks them automatically. I reminded him that if we had that stuff on the Douglas DC-9 that the company would not need him. (It was just a joke!) We marveled at how well the junior jet flew the holding pattern race track in the sky above us. Then it happened. Approach control told us that we would fly West bound to Columbia VOR (88 miles west of St. Louis) until approach control can turn the airplanes around. Pretty vague plan but we had enough fuel to fly for 1½ hours. Then it really happened!!! Mr. Junior Jet “JJ” says, that they “need to land and land soon.” Then the words from “JJ” were where’s Springfield. Well in this area there are two Springfields. When the “jumbo jets” divert it is usually to Springfield, (SGF) MO. So guess where the controller was going to send the “junior jet” Yep! To SGF MO which was 186 miles away!!! A “jumbo jet” pilot (one thousand feet below him) said dial up 112.7 or put in CAP its only 52 miles away with an ILS (Instrument Landing System) 04 which would provided the “JJ” with a straight in approach to a runway incase they turned into a “GJ” - GLIDER JET. The time the controller took to come back with a reply had to seem like weeks to the “JJ” pilot because when the controller did talk he gave “JJ” a southwesterly heading for SGF. Then the “we need to land now!” words and voice came clearly across the radio airwaves from “JJ”. “Are you declaring an emergency?” the controller asked. “No! But we will soon!” was the reply from the “JJ”. (If he would have declared an emergency the controller would have directed him to the nearest airport, which as St. Louis which was now open but had an 150 mile long traffic jam, IMMEDIATELY. But he never really said the words. He could have asked for PRIORITY which would have let him cut in front of a few people who could wait as deemed by the controller.) The controller did not hear the KEY word he needed so he asked the “JJ” what his intentions were. “JJ” said Springfield, IL and the controller said 030 heading, you are 52 miles away, go direct when able. BUT I can get you in number one at St. Louis if you turn South now! Decisions. Decisions. “JJ” did turn South and
landed on 12L at St. Louis. The people coming in after “JJ” all asked how they did. On the way in you could still hear it in the “JJ” crew's voice that they still were not sure of the outcome. The tower controller told them to fly as fast as they could to the runway. “JJ” replied with, “That will burn more gas!” The points are surely clear. First, to have a plan. Second, to have a backup plan. And always have the guts to say EMERGENCY and follow that plan. It was once said, That the only time you have too much fuel is when your on fire!

THE FIRST MAJOR AVIATION SCHOOL IN THE US...........................Parks Air College established in 1927.

Return to Articles