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Pilot who landed on I-81 was in contact with FAA
Great article. It has pictures and the calls to the ATC and from motorists to 911.
Pilot who landed on I-81 was in contact with FAA
Lurah Spell | Bristol Herald Courier 6 hrs ago
A pilot was forced to land a small aircraft on northbound Interstate 81 on March 29 after running out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gauge. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show the pilot was in contact with air control to settle on Interstate 81 as a landing strip.
Robert Sorrell | Bristol Herald Courier
A pilot was forced to land a small aircraft on northbound Interstate 81 on March 29 after running out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gauge. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show the pilot was in contact with air control to settle on Interstate 81 as a landing strip.
Joe Tennis | Bristol Herald courier
The pilot who landed his plane on Interstate 81 on March 29 didn’t call 911, but he did call the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Tower at Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville. ... “I need to put her down,” the pilot calmly said on the recording, after giving his call sign.
....
The air traffic controller said the only option he had was to land on I-81, which was 1.5-2 miles southeast of the plane’s location. The pilot said he could see I-81 in front of him and asked which side of the interstate he should land the plane on. The air traffic controller said he didn’t know what to tell him, but he let the pilot know there were “multiple obstructions” in his path.
....
Air traffic control then lost radar contact with the plane, and, shortly afterward, lost radio contact with the pilot, so another pilot who heard his broadcast relayed information from him. He let air traffic control know that the plane had landed on I-81 near the Exit 10 sign. The air traffic controller wanted him to let the pilot know emergency crews were on the way and to ask him if he needed anything.
The air traffic controller was told the pilot had landed his plane safely, wasn’t injured and was sitting in his plane on the shoulder of the interstate near Exit 10. ... Washington County Virginia Central Dispatch received seven calls regarding the incident — six via 911 and one directly to them from an off-duty deputy. There were two calls between agencies.
....
As for the cost to respond to the unusual call, Earl estimated VDOT spent, including personnel and traffic control services, less than $500. ... Virginia Highlands Airport Manager Mickey Hines said the airport paid $49.20 to send two employees to fuel the plane at the scene and around $5 for gas for the fuel truck. He said the pilot paid $93.20 for 20 gallons of fuel, a $150 afterhours fee for airport personnel to respond to the scene and $25 to rent a hangar space at the airport. ... VSP and Sheriff’s Office officials said they didn’t incur any costs on top of daily personnel and operations expenditures in response to the incident.
lspell@bristolnews.com | 276-645-2511 | Twitter: @BHC_Lurah | Facebook.com/lurah.lowery
Lurah Spell | Bristol Herald Courier 6 hrs ago
A pilot was forced to land a small aircraft on northbound Interstate 81 on March 29 after running out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gauge. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show the pilot was in contact with air control to settle on Interstate 81 as a landing strip.
Robert Sorrell | Bristol Herald Courier
A pilot was forced to land a small aircraft on northbound Interstate 81 on March 29 after running out of fuel due to a faulty fuel gauge. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration show the pilot was in contact with air control to settle on Interstate 81 as a landing strip.
Joe Tennis | Bristol Herald courier
The pilot who landed his plane on Interstate 81 on March 29 didn’t call 911, but he did call the Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Traffic Control Tower at Tri-Cities Airport in Blountville. ... “I need to put her down,” the pilot calmly said on the recording, after giving his call sign.
....
The air traffic controller said the only option he had was to land on I-81, which was 1.5-2 miles southeast of the plane’s location. The pilot said he could see I-81 in front of him and asked which side of the interstate he should land the plane on. The air traffic controller said he didn’t know what to tell him, but he let the pilot know there were “multiple obstructions” in his path.
....
Air traffic control then lost radar contact with the plane, and, shortly afterward, lost radio contact with the pilot, so another pilot who heard his broadcast relayed information from him. He let air traffic control know that the plane had landed on I-81 near the Exit 10 sign. The air traffic controller wanted him to let the pilot know emergency crews were on the way and to ask him if he needed anything.
The air traffic controller was told the pilot had landed his plane safely, wasn’t injured and was sitting in his plane on the shoulder of the interstate near Exit 10. ... Washington County Virginia Central Dispatch received seven calls regarding the incident — six via 911 and one directly to them from an off-duty deputy. There were two calls between agencies.
....
As for the cost to respond to the unusual call, Earl estimated VDOT spent, including personnel and traffic control services, less than $500. ... Virginia Highlands Airport Manager Mickey Hines said the airport paid $49.20 to send two employees to fuel the plane at the scene and around $5 for gas for the fuel truck. He said the pilot paid $93.20 for 20 gallons of fuel, a $150 afterhours fee for airport personnel to respond to the scene and $25 to rent a hangar space at the airport. ... VSP and Sheriff’s Office officials said they didn’t incur any costs on top of daily personnel and operations expenditures in response to the incident.
lspell@bristolnews.com | 276-645-2511 | Twitter: @BHC_Lurah | Facebook.com/lurah.lowery
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