Emergency Landing of King Air 6077 X-ray: A Real-Time Account
0:00:07 Initial Loss of Contact: Air traffic controllers in Bakersfield lose contact with a King Air aircraft (November 6077 X-ray) flying from Henderson, Nevada, to Monterey, California.
0:01:51 Emergency Declared: The co-pilot of 6077 X-ray reports that the pilot has passed out, and the controller declares an emergency.
0:02:17 Co-Pilot's Limited Experience: It's revealed that the co-pilot, the pilot's wife, is a student pilot with very limited experience and is unable to land the plane. The plane is, at this point, flying on autopilot.
0:03:40 Emergency Frequency Use: Other pilots offer assistance after hearing the emergency broadcast on the 121.5 MHz guard frequency.
0:05:59 Flight Instructor Assistance: A controller, who is also a flight instructor, is found to help guide the co-pilot.
0:07:04 Oxygen Mask: The instructor's first priority is to have the co-pilot apply an oxygen mask to the unconscious pilot.
0:08:38 Fuel Status: She reports 850, interpretted as hundreds of pounds, of fuel in each tank, giving her about 3.5 hours of flight time.
0:12:15 Planned Landing at Bakersfield: The plan is to guide the aircraft to Bakersfield Meadows Field, which has a long runway and a controller experienced with King Air planes.
0:12:38 Autopilot Disconnect Challenge: The main challenge is figuring out how to disengage the autopilot and have the co-pilot hand-fly the plane, which is necessary for landing.
0:14:29 Attempting a Turn: They try to get the co-pilot to turn the plane towards Bakersfield, but she struggles to disengage the autopilot and control the aircraft.
0:19:52 Oxygen Concerns: The controller, and a helpful pilot, are concerned over the pressure, altitude, and oxygen level of the copilot, and the dangers therein.
0:22:35 Successful Autopilot Turn: The co-pilot manages to engage heading mode on the autopilot, causing the plane to turn, but struggles to control the turn further.
0:26:29 Manual Control: The co-pilot finally disengages the autopilot by pressing the red button on the yoke, taking manual control of the aircraft.
0:27:56 Assisting Aircraft: A Customs and Border Patrol Super King Air (Troy 315) flies up alongside to provide visual assistance and guidance.
0:29:30 Trim Issues: The co-pilot struggles with the trim, causing the aircraft to descend, and is instructed on how to adjust the trim wheel.
0:34:39 Flight Instruction: The controller guides the co-pilot, acting as a flight instructor, giving basic instructions on controlling pitch, altitude, and airspeed.
0:36:26 Flaps Deployment: The co-pilot is instructed to deploy the first notch of flaps to slow down the aircraft for descent.
0:41:14 Landing Gear Deployment: The co-pilot is instructed to lower the landing gear, further slowing the aircraft and preparing for landing.
0:42:40 Difficulty Reaching Controls: The copilot struggles to reach the landing gear lever, causing concern over spatial awareness.
0:45:39 Tower Takes Over: The controller hands off communication to the Bakersfield tower, as they have a visual on the aircraft.
0:46:57 Visual Approach: The co-pilot is guided through a visual approach, making turns to line up with the runway.
0:55:01 Successful Landing: The co-pilot successfully lands the aircraft, though it rolls off the runway, the plane remains largely intact.
0:55:23 Engine Shutdown: The co-pilot struggles with the three pairs of levers, but successfully shuts down the engine under instruction.
0:56:43 Aftermath: The co-pilot is praised for her incredible accomplishment, while the tragic circumstance of her husband's death is acknowledged.