Learning how to fly is exhilarating but it is also serious business. As a student pilot, you first learn the basics of aircraft control in the plane, typically a Cessna 152 or Cessna 172. Once you master the basics of flight, instructors then add in emergency procedures. The goal is to get a student confident enough to solo a plane by themself and have enough confidence and skills to handle any of the common emergencies.
Our friends at VASA Aviation found another ATC gem that is worthy of sharing and learning from. In the audio, a team of 3 pilots, a mechanic, and NORCAL approach all worked together to assist a student pilot in a pickle. He was flying his rented Cessna 152 when the throttle stopped responding to movements. While this is a situation somewhat preferable to losing your engine in flight, it is still dangerous. Even in a light, single engine trainer like a Cessna the situation can quickly turn dangerous for an inexperienced pilot. With a stuck throttle, your primary options are to climb to maintain airspeed, accelerate, or shut off the fuel to the engine and glide to a landing.
In this case, the pilot was well trained even for an unusual situation like a stuck throttle. You can clearly hear his demeanor as calm and confident. He reached out on the CTAF at Watsonville Airport to state his problem. In the beginning of the video, the student pilot was about 3 miles away from the field at 4,000 feet. A CFI who heard his radio call reached out to him on the emergency 121.5 frequency to offer assistance and provide advice. A mechanic on the radio offered to drive to his flight school to connect him to an instructor from the school.
At this point, NORCAL approach overhead the conversation that was taking place on guard. A pilot in the area relayed an update on the situation to the controller. The controller then offered to coordinate emergency vehicles at the airport for the stricken Cessna. By this time the pilot had climbed to 6,700 feet!
Towards the end of the video, you can hear the student pilot link up with an instructor pilot from the flight school. The instructor recommended controlling the power by adjusting the mixture. The student pilot tried it out and was able to control his power via the mixture. The video didn’t capture any additional CTAF communications but the student did land safely.
The trite phase “teamwork makes the dream work” is definitely applicable in this situation. It’s a case of many aviation professionals working together to ensure a fresh aviation landed safely. Well done!