Narrative:

When approximately 100 mi north of atl, I heard an aircraft call on the frequency, 'breaker, breaker, I'm in real trouble, and I need some help.' I asked all aircraft on the frequency to stand by, and ascertained that the nature of the aircraft's problem was VFR on top operation, followed by descent through a hole, an encounter with a cloud mass, and near flight into terrain. Additionally, he was lost. I gave the aircraft, a cherokee, the information that terrain in our vicinity ran up to nearly 7000 ft MSL in places, and suggested that he avoid further flight into clouds due to the high terrain. Since I was becoming very heavily involved with the emergency aircraft's situation, I gave control of our aircraft to my first officer. We very briefly discussed my plan, and he handled the job of keeping us clear of buildups and in the vicinity of vxv. Additionally, earlier, the cherokee had indicated that he was receiving 113.4 on his VOR. First officer handed me a low chart folded to odf. That's what I call support and CRM. During this time, ZTL was doing a masterful job of clearing a very busy center frequency, and listening for any request for assistance we might need so as to aid the cherokee. Essentially, center gave us a blanket clearance to stay and assist while avoiding some very obtrusive WX. I worked with the cherokee in establishing his position relative to the VOR's available. He had skirted over a ridge line and lost 113.4, so I asked him to dial up the harris VOR. His earlier efforts at getting a radial from odf had been less than successful. We worked at it until I was fairly sure he was on the harris 240 degree radial. Having some familiarity with the limited reception range in the hills, I told him to take up a 060 degree heading as much as possible so as to pick up one of the only 2 airports possible from his single line of position. Fortunately, it worked and he picked up the airfield. I was fairly certain of his position by this point, but center had been monitoring and indicated the possibility that the field he was heading for was notamed closed. Center did an extremely rapid job of verifying that another aircraft had landed there the night before, and further calling to ensure that a landing was possible. Center found that there was 2000 ft of runway available. At that point, I told the cherokee that if I were in his same circumstance, I would land as opposed to the real possibility of flying into a mountain! That turned out to be the course he selected, and all ended well. We stayed to verify his safe landing, completed the administrative details for center, and continued on to cvg. Subsequently, I made a PA to the passenger describing briefly the events that had transpired. The second part was to the effect that they could feel very good about a short delay in their travel plans to probably save 2 people's lives. Departing comments were universally good -- no complaints about our slightly tardy arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B767 FLC ASSISTED A PA28 PLT WHO WAS LOST IN AN AREA OF HIGH TERRAIN AND LOW CLOUDS. THEY AND THE ARTCC CTLR WERE ABLE TO VECTOR THE PA28 PLT TO AN ARPT FOR A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: WHEN APPROX 100 MI N OF ATL, I HEARD AN ACFT CALL ON THE FREQ, 'BREAKER, BREAKER, I'M IN REAL TROUBLE, AND I NEED SOME HELP.' I ASKED ALL ACFT ON THE FREQ TO STAND BY, AND ASCERTAINED THAT THE NATURE OF THE ACFT'S PROB WAS VFR ON TOP OP, FOLLOWED BY DSCNT THROUGH A HOLE, AN ENCOUNTER WITH A CLOUD MASS, AND NEAR FLT INTO TERRAIN. ADDITIONALLY, HE WAS LOST. I GAVE THE ACFT, A CHEROKEE, THE INFO THAT TERRAIN IN OUR VICINITY RAN UP TO NEARLY 7000 FT MSL IN PLACES, AND SUGGESTED THAT HE AVOID FURTHER FLT INTO CLOUDS DUE TO THE HIGH TERRAIN. SINCE I WAS BECOMING VERY HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH THE EMER ACFT'S SIT, I GAVE CTL OF OUR ACFT TO MY FO. WE VERY BRIEFLY DISCUSSED MY PLAN, AND HE HANDLED THE JOB OF KEEPING US CLR OF BUILDUPS AND IN THE VICINITY OF VXV. ADDITIONALLY, EARLIER, THE CHEROKEE HAD INDICATED THAT HE WAS RECEIVING 113.4 ON HIS VOR. FO HANDED ME A LOW CHART FOLDED TO ODF. THAT'S WHAT I CALL SUPPORT AND CRM. DURING THIS TIME, ZTL WAS DOING A MASTERFUL JOB OF CLRING A VERY BUSY CTR FREQ, AND LISTENING FOR ANY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE WE MIGHT NEED SO AS TO AID THE CHEROKEE. ESSENTIALLY, CTR GAVE US A BLANKET CLRNC TO STAY AND ASSIST WHILE AVOIDING SOME VERY OBTRUSIVE WX. I WORKED WITH THE CHEROKEE IN ESTABLISHING HIS POS RELATIVE TO THE VOR'S AVAILABLE. HE HAD SKIRTED OVER A RIDGE LINE AND LOST 113.4, SO I ASKED HIM TO DIAL UP THE HARRIS VOR. HIS EARLIER EFFORTS AT GETTING A RADIAL FROM ODF HAD BEEN LESS THAN SUCCESSFUL. WE WORKED AT IT UNTIL I WAS FAIRLY SURE HE WAS ON THE HARRIS 240 DEG RADIAL. HAVING SOME FAMILIARITY WITH THE LIMITED RECEPTION RANGE IN THE HILLS, I TOLD HIM TO TAKE UP A 060 DEG HDG AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO PICK UP ONE OF THE ONLY 2 ARPTS POSSIBLE FROM HIS SINGLE LINE OF POS. FORTUNATELY, IT WORKED AND HE PICKED UP THE AIRFIELD. I WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN OF HIS POS BY THIS POINT, BUT CTR HAD BEEN MONITORING AND INDICATED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE FIELD HE WAS HEADING FOR WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. CTR DID AN EXTREMELY RAPID JOB OF VERIFYING THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD LANDED THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND FURTHER CALLING TO ENSURE THAT A LNDG WAS POSSIBLE. CTR FOUND THAT THERE WAS 2000 FT OF RWY AVAILABLE. AT THAT POINT, I TOLD THE CHEROKEE THAT IF I WERE IN HIS SAME CIRCUMSTANCE, I WOULD LAND AS OPPOSED TO THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF FLYING INTO A MOUNTAIN! THAT TURNED OUT TO BE THE COURSE HE SELECTED, AND ALL ENDED WELL. WE STAYED TO VERIFY HIS SAFE LNDG, COMPLETED THE ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS FOR CTR, AND CONTINUED ON TO CVG. SUBSEQUENTLY, I MADE A PA TO THE PAX DESCRIBING BRIEFLY THE EVENTS THAT HAD TRANSPIRED. THE SECOND PART WAS TO THE EFFECT THAT THEY COULD FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT A SHORT DELAY IN THEIR TRAVEL PLANS TO PROBABLY SAVE 2 PEOPLE'S LIVES. DEPARTING COMMENTS WERE UNIVERSALLY GOOD -- NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT OUR SLIGHTLY TARDY ARR.

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.