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Military A10 lost engine declared emergency. ATC equipment problem communication UHF frequency unable to communication with pilot.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 325025 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bdr |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bdl |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Thunderbolt II (Warthog A-10) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Experience | controller radar : 9 |
| ASRS Report | 325025 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : military |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Situations | |
| Navigational Aid | Unspecified |
Narrative:
I was working west departure and handed military X flight off to ZBW. X climbed to 13000 ft with center, I received a call from center that X lost an engine declaring an emergency and returning to bdl. X was a flight of 2 A10's. On initial contact, I tried to ascertain the information, but xmissions were garbled. I attempted contact with wingman and again xmissions were garbled. I was finally able to establish 2-WAY communication with wingman and ascertained that it was wingman that had lost the engine and further information that helped me to regain control and assist the flight to a successful landing. The VHF frequencys at bdl have a long history of blind spots and having to use back up recorders and transmitters in order to communicate. This incident is an example of how equipment not operating properly almost kept ATC from providing the necessary services in an emergency situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MIL A10 LOST ENG DECLARED EMER. ATC EQUIP PROB COM UHF FREQ UNABLE TO COM WITH PLT.
Narrative: I WAS WORKING W DEP AND HANDED MIL X FLT OFF TO ZBW. X CLBED TO 13000 FT WITH CTR, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM CTR THAT X LOST AN ENG DECLARING AN EMER AND RETURNING TO BDL. X WAS A FLT OF 2 A10'S. ON INITIAL CONTACT, I TRIED TO ASCERTAIN THE INFO, BUT XMISSIONS WERE GARBLED. I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH WINGMAN AND AGAIN XMISSIONS WERE GARBLED. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH 2-WAY COM WITH WINGMAN AND ASCERTAINED THAT IT WAS WINGMAN THAT HAD LOST THE ENG AND FURTHER INFO THAT HELPED ME TO REGAIN CTL AND ASSIST THE FLT TO A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THE VHF FREQS AT BDL HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF BLIND SPOTS AND HAVING TO USE BACK UP RECORDERS AND XMITTERS IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE. THIS INCIDENT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW EQUIP NOT OPERATING PROPERLY ALMOST KEPT ATC FROM PROVIDING THE NECESSARY SVCS IN AN EMER SIT.
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.