Narrative:

I thought that describing this incident might help some fellow aviators some day. While on a flight from jackson, wy, to san antonio, tx, at FL350, we were monitoring guard as usual. We heard a mayday from a small cessna in colorado and returned his call. The pilot said he only had about 30 mins of fuel remaining. He was trapped below a descending overcast in mountainous terrain and was lost. He was unable to obtain a VOR bearing and was unable to raise flight service or center on guard. He described a 'D' on a hillside and knew that he was some place southwest of denver. Initially, we were at a loss to help him. We contacted center who asked him to squawk 7700 and they were able to pick up his transponder though they were unable to communicate with him. They advised us of his approximately location. My copilot suggested looking at the 'captain's atlas' which we carry for passenger information. It enabled us to determine that he was over dinosaur and then we were able to tell him which roads to follow to get to the nearest airport. We were beginning to lose radio contact so we called the FBO at the closest airfield on the air-to-ground radio telephone and asked them to send out a light plane to meet the lost aircraft over the highway inbound. Later, we called and checked and the plane landed safety, though with only a small amount of fuel remaining. Analysis of this incident suggest the following: 1) always monitor guard -- you never know when you may be able to help. 2) the 'captain's atlas' is invaluable in picking out small towns and hwys which are useful for VFR navigation even if you are at FL350. 3) don't forget the air-to-ground radio telephone as an effective means of communication (especially should you lose your communication radios). Also, the name of the publication has telephone numbers for ARTCC and airport control towers! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he always carries publication with him. It is a small, near pocket book size airport directory of all airports with the united states. Nice things is it includes phone numbers for FBO's and ATC facilities. He is aware it is illegal to use cellular phones from the air, but in an emergency, anything goes. He believes callback should issue a reminder at least once a yr for pilots to monitor 'guard' frequency. Reporter has received a letter from center acknowledging his tremendous assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT HEARS MAYDAY AND DISTRESSED ACFT UNABLE TO CONTACT ATC. RELAYS COM BTWN THE TWO, LOCATES POS OF LOST ACFT, GUIDES HIM TOWARD ARPT. CONTACTS FBO TO SEND ACFT TO MEET LOST SMA.

Narrative: I THOUGHT THAT DESCRIBING THIS INCIDENT MIGHT HELP SOME FELLOW AVIATORS SOME DAY. WHILE ON A FLT FROM JACKSON, WY, TO SAN ANTONIO, TX, AT FL350, WE WERE MONITORING GUARD AS USUAL. WE HEARD A MAYDAY FROM A SMALL CESSNA IN COLORADO AND RETURNED HIS CALL. THE PLT SAID HE ONLY HAD ABOUT 30 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. HE WAS TRAPPED BELOW A DSNDING OVCST IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND WAS LOST. HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A VOR BEARING AND WAS UNABLE TO RAISE FLT SVC OR CTR ON GUARD. HE DESCRIBED A 'D' ON A HILLSIDE AND KNEW THAT HE WAS SOME PLACE SW OF DENVER. INITIALLY, WE WERE AT A LOSS TO HELP HIM. WE CONTACTED CTR WHO ASKED HIM TO SQUAWK 7700 AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PICK UP HIS XPONDER THOUGH THEY WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM. THEY ADVISED US OF HIS APPROX LOCATION. MY COPLT SUGGESTED LOOKING AT THE 'CAPT'S ATLAS' WHICH WE CARRY FOR PAX INFO. IT ENABLED US TO DETERMINE THAT HE WAS OVER DINOSAUR AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO TELL HIM WHICH ROADS TO FOLLOW TO GET TO THE NEAREST ARPT. WE WERE BEGINNING TO LOSE RADIO CONTACT SO WE CALLED THE FBO AT THE CLOSEST AIRFIELD ON THE AIR-TO-GND RADIO TELEPHONE AND ASKED THEM TO SEND OUT A LIGHT PLANE TO MEET THE LOST ACFT OVER THE HWY INBOUND. LATER, WE CALLED AND CHKED AND THE PLANE LANDED SAFETY, THOUGH WITH ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING. ANALYSIS OF THIS INCIDENT SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING: 1) ALWAYS MONITOR GUARD -- YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP. 2) THE 'CAPT'S ATLAS' IS INVALUABLE IN PICKING OUT SMALL TOWNS AND HWYS WHICH ARE USEFUL FOR VFR NAV EVEN IF YOU ARE AT FL350. 3) DON'T FORGET THE AIR-TO-GND RADIO TELEPHONE AS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF COM (ESPECIALLY SHOULD YOU LOSE YOUR COM RADIOS). ALSO, THE NAME OF THE PUB HAS TELEPHONE NUMBERS FOR ARTCC AND ARPT CTL TWRS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE ALWAYS CARRIES PUB WITH HIM. IT IS A SMALL, NEAR POCKET BOOK SIZE ARPT DIRECTORY OF ALL ARPTS WITH THE UNITED STATES. NICE THINGS IS IT INCLUDES PHONE NUMBERS FOR FBO'S AND ATC FACILITIES. HE IS AWARE IT IS ILLEGAL TO USE CELLULAR PHONES FROM THE AIR, BUT IN AN EMER, ANYTHING GOES. HE BELIEVES CALLBACK SHOULD ISSUE A REMINDER AT LEAST ONCE A YR FOR PLTS TO MONITOR 'GUARD' FREQ. RPTR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CTR ACKNOWLEDGING HIS TREMENDOUS ASSISTANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.