Technology
114. ATC: service provider or life-saver
In episode 114 of 'I Learned About Flying From That,' host Rob Reiter interviews Bob Taylor, who faced a life-threatening engine failure while flying over Ohio. With the help of calm air tra...
114. ATC: service provider or life-saver
Technology •
0:00 / 0:00
Interactive Transcript
spk_0
You're on your way home from a business trip on a VFR day. You have an
spk_0
instrument rating but decide just to use flight following to stay in touch and
spk_0
maybe get some traffic advisories. But out of nowhere your engine starts to
spk_0
vibrate and you begin to lose altitude. You need to find an airport quickly. An
spk_0
urgent radio call puts the controller in the I'm from the FAA and I'm here to
spk_0
help you mode. ATC, service provider or life saver. You be the judge on this
spk_0
episode of I-LAST. I learned about flying from that.
spk_0
Hello everyone I'm Rob Reiter and welcome to episode 114 of Flying
spk_0
Magazine's I learned about flying from that podcast brought to you by a VEMCO
spk_0
insurance. If you fly in the system a lot you've doubtless encountered a wide
spk_0
range of controller personalities and perhaps some who are just having a bad day.
spk_0
On today's episode we'll meet Bob Taylor who in 2010 had a serious engine
spk_0
problem over unfamiliar territory and had only a yoke mounted GPS. His call to
spk_0
ATC got their attention and care. We'll hear some actual audio of how they
spk_0
assisted Bob to find a suitable airport right after this message from a VEMCO.
spk_0
A VEMCO insurance company has thousands of five star reviews on TrustPilot.com.
spk_0
Here's one from Henry K who said, for more than 18 years a VEMCO is
spk_0
ensured me and my aircraft. The cost has been very reasonable and service excellent
spk_0
completely satisfied. The only claim I ever had was handled quickly and to my
spk_0
complete satisfaction. A VEMCO is a first rate insurer. Experience the advantage of
spk_0
with a VEMCO insurance company called 800-338-8705 for a free quote or visit
spk_0
of VEMCO.com slash flying today. Don't forget to tell them I laughed since you for
spk_0
5% off your premium. Now I learned about flying from that.
spk_0
My guest today on I laughed as Bob Taylor who had some challenges over the
spk_0
state of Ohio and talking to actually Huntington approach found himself looking for a place to land
spk_0
and had himself a time where he thought he was not going to survive at one point.
spk_0
But you did and I will say now Bob Taylor, welcome to I laughed.
spk_0
Well, thank you very much and thank you for asking me to be on your show. I appreciate it.
spk_0
Oh, I'm so glad you're here. I'm glad you submitted your story to us. Tell me a little bit about you
spk_0
and how aviation became a part of your life before we get into your I laughed story
spk_0
because actually they your vocation and your I laughed story kind of intersect. But how did it
spk_0
start for you Bob? I grew up on Long Island and as you're actually at the beach or the shore
spk_0
on the south shore you see the planes come into a Kennedy and I remember as a kid watching
spk_0
this dates me back watching the Concord come in and the entire beach would just like stop
spk_0
and watch this thing killing and land and then you know all kids are interested in flying but I
spk_0
guess the real story is back in the late 70s I was working for AT&T at the time and a friend of mine
spk_0
came up and said to me we were actually at a pub he says let's go to the beach tomorrow I said well
spk_0
that sounds like a fun and he says well you're talking about Jones Beach State Park there on the
spk_0
on the long Island right? Correct that's right yeah that's a happy ride they have a great air show as
spk_0
you know so I don't know I won't make this a long story probably anyway so the he said let's go
spk_0
to the beach and he said well going his plane I said great and he said can you think you can get a
spk_0
girlfriend to go with you I said I think I do that so I did that so I fly down the beach and
spk_0
this with my friend John and my my girlfriend at the time and his friend and it was just a
spk_0
fabulous way to go because where I live in Greensboro at the time it was about four or four and a
spk_0
hour to to get to the shore or the beach so on that glide I said I'm gonna learn how to fly so I
spk_0
learn how to fly and it was a great way to socialize and meet ladies if you're since it's in a pub
spk_0
on a flight in ice and you say hey let's go to the beach and they say I really don't want to do
spk_0
that then you said well you know we go my plane we go back there and happen hour and a half and then
spk_0
go like oh so that was pretty interesting and it's funny because I ended up buying John's plane
spk_0
so I've had that plane I've had my Cherokee for almost 40 something years I always thought I
spk_0
would upgrade but as you know flying can get expensive I stuck with that airplane and I am just
spk_0
delighted that I did well here you are you got an airplane it's working for you and you actually
spk_0
ended up using it for business as well didn't you that's correct on the on the trip and that we're
spk_0
talking about backing from Lima oh hi oh back to Greensboro I left oh early in the afternoon and
spk_0
which flying back I have been up there on business I was working at a hospital where I sold a product
spk_0
that uses used to sell every tire called a truity TRU-D which stands for total room ultra
spk_0
ballot disinfection it's a robot that uses UV light or UVC light to disinfect hospital rooms
spk_0
and operating rooms that's in line with Lima talking to those people and they bought one
spk_0
finally actually but on the way back I had my incident okay what year was that and let's go
spk_0
ahead and get right into your story because it really is it's interesting and how air traffic control
spk_0
played a big part in keeping keeping you keeping you alive in some respects go and tell set us up
spk_0
when did it happen happened in October of 2010 and Lima ohio is north west of Columbus and north
spk_0
of Dayton about halfway in between actually between Dayton and Detroit on long i-75 so you're
spk_0
cutting yourself on a southeasterly course cutting that right climbing up to I am rated but I
spk_0
said well you know I was kind of in a hurry actually so getting back I was gonna be a three-hour
spk_0
plus flight so I wanted to get going so I cranked her up did not file ever I wouldn't be up for
spk_0
climb up to 7500 feet which I am really glad that I did now because I am on the old philosophy if
spk_0
to fly high and you can use the winds that's great plus it gives you more so also more time
spk_0
to get down and in my case that really mattered so at a 7500 feet and I'm cruising along and I just
spk_0
switched to Huntington approach and I you know checked in at 7500 and then my engine just started
spk_0
vibrating like crazy and I really didn't know what's going on Bob when you reached out to me about
spk_0
this episode you included that recording that you got of your ATC communications of the entire event
spk_0
and it is an important part of this episode in that we get to hear just how helpful how calm
spk_0
and collected the guys from ATC at Huntington approach were when you were in trouble and
spk_0
we're gonna play a little bit of that right now including your check-in when things started to
spk_0
go bad we'll play some other snippets but just so you know so everybody knows we will be doing time
spk_0
compression and some forensic enhancement to make the transmissions more as we listen to them
spk_0
more intelligible so here's the check-in and your transmission when things started to go wrong
spk_0
for reference to the 72001 whiskey with you
spk_0
Turkey 72-0-1 whiskey huntington approach 20 pounds and they're 2-9 or 8-7
spk_0
the spacing on this transmission only six seconds is real time
spk_0
and your whiskey fair I have been
spk_0
checking your 1-Wiskey you cut out to again
spk_0
I got a theory of problem here had you ever had any problems with the airplane
spk_0
engine or any other systems on the airplane outside of that time and how many hours had you put
spk_0
on the airplane prior to that moment good question no I never have I have had a couple you know
spk_0
you get you get to a place and the thing they won't start that that kind of stuff that's
spk_0
happened before but nothing like nothing serious and at the time on the engine that engine was
spk_0
a number two engine for me and I had about 1800 hours on it okay that's in some cases some folks
spk_0
call for a TBO but in your case you were still flying with it and it was feeling healthy up until
spk_0
that very very moment when the vibration started right and actually a rod that engine after
spk_0
after what I guess you get towards the end when they went with the remedy on the after was
spk_0
putting two new cylinders on it I actually ran that 1800 hour engine up up almost to 2300 it
spk_0
really was it was a fabulous engine however when you're putting cylinders on it's kind of like a
spk_0
half top you know that sort of thing but uh sure and the engine in the airplane was what was at a
spk_0
continental or a light coming I'm not sure which so light combing to Cherokee it's a Cherokee 180 so
spk_0
I have a 180 horsepower light combing so it's an O360 correct just a rock solid engine man just
spk_0
solid as solid until that day and I thought oh my gosh this is it Bobby boy so 7500 feet vibration
spk_0
RPM goes down you can't maintain altitude an air traffic control is going to help you get some
spk_0
place quickly but you're over the the hills of southeastern Ohio there are not a lot of airports
spk_0
down there you know many hills there are down there I kept looking down oh a lot I'm thinking oh my
spk_0
gosh Bobby what are you going to do and then what's concerned me so as I'm going through you know
spk_0
that I'm checking the mags I'm doing switching tanks I'm doing everything that I that I know what to do
spk_0
and I'm not having much luck but I kids tell myself Bobby don't push the throttle don't don't
spk_0
keep the throttle where it is just because you still have some power not much but you got power
spk_0
and maybe we can get there but I was so afraid of the engines just stopping and that wind and then
spk_0
the prop wind milling which I've often heard that that's like a break and I just that's all I
spk_0
can think of this prop stops I'm in serious really really bad trouble but I wasn't trouble but I
spk_0
just didn't want that prop to stop that makes sense it sure does make sense and did you assume at
spk_0
that point in terms of aviate navigate communicate did you set up a best glide speed at that point
spk_0
or were you just trying to eke every knot of air speed out of it you could at that throttle setting
spk_0
I didn't at first I just kept myself flying and the new and new that I had to as you say I had to
spk_0
aviate navigate and communicate and finally after a few minutes I really you'll pull back got
spk_0
got myself set up for glide but it took me a few maybe in minutes but maybe seconds just the
spk_0
the gravity of the situation and I need as much altitude out of this thing as I can do until I
spk_0
find a place to land and thank goodness the huntington guys were with Johnny on the spot they gave me
spk_0
a heading they told me how far and I'm thinking to myself you know I I mean I might be able to make
spk_0
this let's go back to the tape and pick up your transmission and ATC's work to help you find that
spk_0
place to land trache 7201 whiskey say intention fell with Johnny the near and airport trache 7201 whiskey
spk_0
right there near to the port is James road airport 12 o'clock one five mile
spk_0
Bob what kind of equipment did you have on board the aircraft the only thing I had that I used to
spk_0
navigate to find that airport was I had one of those you know those handheld garment things like
spk_0
it's an 820 or something like you get captured to your yoke sure and I remember I remember when I
spk_0
said okay as I'm trying to get myself stabilized in my mind I said okay I need the identifier for
spk_0
this airport and I think was I 46 or something like that at the old days and I punched that in and
spk_0
it you know here you go here's a heading 190 whatever go to it and I was doing that but it was it was
spk_0
it was it was hard for me to get myself slowed down try to gain some altitude but I kept as you
spk_0
may have heard on the recording I kept going down and losing altitude so it was um
spk_0
probably was it was sure was something Bob we could certainly hear on the recording that you were
spk_0
stressed but you didn't panic and the guys from Huntington and their calm demeanor I'm sure helped
spk_0
alleviate that sense of panic and gave you vectors to James Rhodes airport down in Jackson Ohio
spk_0
KJRO and James Rhodes was governor of Ohio and he was the kind of guy that wanted an airport in
spk_0
every county and there are 88 counties in Ohio he was a real proponent of general aviation and his
spk_0
state airplane was an old DC3 well being as it is the airport that I land that was James Rhodes airport
spk_0
you were right almost right over top of it right you they got you there quickly it took about eight
spk_0
or nine minutes to get there and I kept talking to them and they were once again arrived they were
spk_0
just so what's the right well reassuring reassuring I think is the word I want to use
spk_0
not that when this you want to do swift attack do you want everything I know what to do here
spk_0
I'm a two deer one whiskey ratchet sir we'll help you down if rush to the can I'm talking to
spk_0
somebody I'm nervous I'm doing the best I can to define this airport and they kept giving me tracks
spk_0
but I one thing that sticks in my mind is as you're getting close I wasn't going to start going
spk_0
down until I actually saw that airport and when I'm flying along I'm looking straight out I'm
spk_0
trying to find this thing but finally the guy say you know Bob you're about half a mile away I said
spk_0
really and I got over the airport and I didn't see it but I opened up my window and just be
spk_0
here I looked down and there it is so we zero on risky Roger and the airport 12 o'clock now I see
spk_0
now again in about a mile back low how fun it is all I had to do is circle and circle around and get
spk_0
myself on the ground and check he's going to one whiskey very fire circling to the left for
spk_0
a runway one minute I have it right I'm about to make it how do I thank you I think you just got a
spk_0
chance to thank them again even though it was a long time ago so glad you got it on the ground safely
spk_0
you handled it very very well now we want to know what was wrong with the plane what happened to
spk_0
at the end of the day and the engine I swiled of L on one cylinder and cracked the other so I was
spk_0
getting a 50% power which was enough to get me down from seven upon front 100 and I remember a
spk_0
calling saying I'm coming down I'm at 55 and so and so forth and just enough time to get there
spk_0
and circle around and land but those guys were fabulous when you landed in taxi clear and
spk_0
shut down was there anybody there had the had the FAA controllers sent any any law enforcement or
spk_0
or first responders to be there for you when you what pulled off the runway yes they did they had
spk_0
they had caught when I when I stopped they are playing you know got a taxied back with all this
spk_0
unbelievable vibration now the pilot comes up to me it says you that doesn't sound very good I
spk_0
said yeah you're right that's here's my situation as I'm doing that there is a
spk_0
sheriff or a patrolman racing down the airport road run what road and I think that road is paid
spk_0
because I never seen a car with so much dust in my life but here here's the phone if I hear
spk_0
this huge cop he must have been six but six he was tremendous I grew up in a hug the guy like man
spk_0
I am so glad I am so glad to see you so when you got down there you got some extra help from the
spk_0
policeman what he took you to a mechanic yeah yeah around the block takes me to the mechanics house
spk_0
we knock on the door guy says how are you comes out says if says I mean just landed had this problem
spk_0
something was my engine when I'm live at the Greensboro can you come look at it fine I think it
spk_0
helped happen the cop there with me though so we we all he gets in his pickup and we all go over he
spk_0
goes out the front of the engine and and you know how these these these mechanics do they start
spk_0
pushing on the front that you lost oh you lost the cylinder no hey man you lost two cylinders here
spk_0
oh wow okay well I could fix this for you but it'd be about a month so anyway it's about a
spk_0
but he diagnosed it right there he well obviously the cylinders he didn't know that I had
spk_0
swallowed a vow but he he knew what the problem was a month later yeah you got it back yeah well
spk_0
it's also my scheduling too well got that but it's it's also amazing that you were able to land
spk_0
where there was a mechanic available to do that so you didn't have to have it trucked some place
spk_0
yeah something like that yeah the other thing in the cop arranged I had business in Washington like
spk_0
the next day or the next day after that they arranged for somebody to take me to Columbus to catch
spk_0
an airplane that's fabulous you're unbelievable that's fantastic yeah you must have been incredibly
spk_0
emotional and I'm wondering if the full impact of what nearly happened to you didn't hit you for
spk_0
an hour or so but let's take a break and come back and then discuss what you learned about flying
spk_0
from that we'll be right back whether you're a student pilot CFI borrowing or building an airplane
spk_0
or looking to buy a Vemko insurance company can help you find the right insurance coverage based
spk_0
on what you fly and how you fly it no gotchas no run around no confusing language no middleman
spk_0
a Vemko insurance company values safety and is a proud sponsor of the iLafte podcast call 800-338-8705 for a free
spk_0
quote or visit of mco.com slash flying today earn an automatic five percent off by mentioning you're
spk_0
an iLafte listener now back to iLafte we're back with Bob Taylor who had a safe landing at KJRO James
spk_0
Rhodes airport in Jackson Ohio near Athens where Ohio University is in and amongst the Hocking Hills
spk_0
plenty of hills and a runway that was as a big life saver for you because the engine was not
spk_0
healthy was it it was not it was vibrating like a son of a gun but had power but as I said to you
spk_0
earlier I knew it's smart enough not to change I didn't want to change the power I mean I got
spk_0
something don't don't mess with it just keep on going so that's one of the lessons that you learned
spk_0
don't don't try to fight something that was improving in terms of vibration when you pulled the
spk_0
power back but what else did you learn about flying from that the phrase av8 navigator communicate
spk_0
I like the thing for me was a talker to those boys and helping them helping them or letting them
spk_0
help me find that airport and get myself down and they were very very encouraging uh I do
spk_0
I do and if you if you listen to the tape they they have to do like they always do
spk_0
how many souls on board blah blah blah I remember going back and say gee I wish I didn't have to
spk_0
tell you this but there's one soul on board I'm at that's 55 parted feet I'm doing 85 knots you
spk_0
know that kind of stuff so it was uh we had a good rapport I think on in our conversation and they
spk_0
were great guys this is a testament to the training and care that air traffic controllers have for
spk_0
the aircraft and the people they're working each and every day I really appreciate all of what
spk_0
they do let me ask you even on a severe clear day which is kind of what it was on that flight
spk_0
for you even if you don't file an IFR flight plan are you the kind of guy who will take advantage
spk_0
of flight following depends on the distance but most of the time yeah if you you know if they're
spk_0
there use them I mean that's what that's the beauty of IFR they got to take you but uh sometimes
spk_0
you don't have to go the routes they take and then is you know depending on where you're going
spk_0
so uh so the the answer to your question is do I use them when I can yes do I use them all the time
spk_0
well if I'm going I'm going 80 miles or 50 miles to go get a burger is up and I might not but long trips
spk_0
always good to have that back up there because they can even even though they don't have to call
spk_0
traffic for you they often do and that's uh it's another big big help from air traffic control
spk_0
Rob excuse me I I never thought about thank you met if I don't I don't know what the heck I would
spk_0
have done if I wasn't talking to those boys I don't I don't know I don't know if I would have
spk_0
the wherewithal to find James Roadfield that's a that's a thought I never thought about that's a good
spk_0
question most of today's equipment has a nearest button on the GPS and it's a very valuable tool
spk_0
that I have learned on this podcast to be looking at that nearest button and pressing it occasionally
spk_0
to see when I'm on a cross-country where I might have to divert should there be a problem
spk_0
so I'm a big fan of the nearest button anything else you learned about flying from that
spk_0
well that yeah just I'll tell you what going back to James Roadfield and pump and crack and crack
spk_0
and her up I flew around that airport for a good half an hour to be sure everything was okay
spk_0
before I came home I think what I learned what I learned about it is is uh you just got to use
spk_0
your training and just don't panic even though you're scared to death just doing do what you're
spk_0
trained to do get that get down find an airport and get yourself down sounds good Bob Taylor
spk_0
air traffic controllers they helped out thank you so much for being on iLafed
spk_0
oh man Rob thank you very much for having me I appreciate it listen to you all the time thanks
spk_0
thank you so much for listening and I hope that you'll tell your friends about the podcast as well
spk_0
I've heard stories of folks who heard about iLafed and have binged listened to every episode
spk_0
it's gratifying and educational and even inspiring I'm interested in hearing your iLafed incident
spk_0
to possibly include in the podcast send me your story or a synopsis my email addresses Rob
spk_0
at flying.media Rob at flying.media we might be able to use it for flying magazines print and
spk_0
digital editions too we drop episodes every couple of weeks so you can hear the first hand accounts
spk_0
of the flying lessons that sometimes only experience can teach the iLafed theme and commercial
spk_0
instrumental music for the podcast was written and performed by Rob Pottoff for a vemko aviation
spk_0
insurance and flying magazine fueling the passion for flights since 1927 i'm Rob Reiter catch
spk_0
it next time on i learned about flying from that