Narrative:

Our flight was called upon to contact a DC9 that was reported lost. We made contact with the aircraft, confirmed they were geographically disoriented and had less than 20 mins of fuel remaining. Through radio relay with the controling agency, the aircraft's position was determined and a vector heading was relayed to the nearest airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the DC9 was a foreign aircraft en route to cancun, mexico. They almost made it from their altitude, but landed short of the runway resulting in minor injuries only. The reporter was approximately 150 mi away from the other aircraft at the time of his help. They were out of orlando, fl, and overflew their westerly heading and became disoriented. Reporter was able to have them identify the appropriate radio VOR aids to pinpoint their position. Since they were at high altitude, but out of range of the united states ATC center, the foreign center could not talk to them, let alone pick them up on radar, so reporter relayed information on the flight to the foreign center controller. With the small amount of fuel the engines stopped and the aircraft glided down almost onto the airport. Reporter was in a B727.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT ASSISTS ANOTHER MLG TO LNDG SHORT OF DEST WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES WHEN THE FLC OF A FOREIGN CARRIER BECAME DISORIENTED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS CALLED UPON TO CONTACT A DC9 THAT WAS RPTED LOST. WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE ACFT, CONFIRMED THEY WERE GEOGRAPHICALLY DISORIENTED AND HAD LESS THAN 20 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. THROUGH RADIO RELAY WITH THE CTLING AGENCY, THE ACFT'S POS WAS DETERMINED AND A VECTOR HDG WAS RELAYED TO THE NEAREST ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE DC9 WAS A FOREIGN ACFT ENRTE TO CANCUN, MEXICO. THEY ALMOST MADE IT FROM THEIR ALT, BUT LANDED SHORT OF THE RWY RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES ONLY. THE RPTR WAS APPROX 150 MI AWAY FROM THE OTHER ACFT AT THE TIME OF HIS HELP. THEY WERE OUT OF ORLANDO, FL, AND OVERFLEW THEIR WESTERLY HDG AND BECAME DISORIENTED. RPTR WAS ABLE TO HAVE THEM IDENT THE APPROPRIATE RADIO VOR AIDS TO PINPOINT THEIR POS. SINCE THEY WERE AT HIGH ALT, BUT OUT OF RANGE OF THE UNITED STATES ATC CTR, THE FOREIGN CTR COULD NOT TALK TO THEM, LET ALONE PICK THEM UP ON RADAR, SO RPTR RELAYED INFO ON THE FLT TO THE FOREIGN CTR CTLR. WITH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL THE ENGS STOPPED AND THE ACFT GLIDED DOWN ALMOST ONTO THE ARPT. RPTR WAS IN A B727.

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.