How's this for a Tower/Pilot exchange in an Emergency?

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..
I guess I see it differently. Losing an engine over water, probably
trying to work the problem, the pilot may have been rattled and without
the mental capacity in that situation to process which way to turn.

It's the pilot's job to not get rattled in an emergency. Yes it happens,
but the fact that it happens doesn't shift the blame to ATC.

Agreed, as pilots, we are more or less in control of and responsible for our
own destinies, but the guy asked for specific information and didn't get it.
As has been said time and time again, most accidents result from a chain of
events. In this one, there were several issues that could have prevented
the fatalities. If the engine hadn't stopped. If the pilot hadn't lost
situational awareness. If a C-195 was a better glider. etc. etc. etc. But
the way I see it, the controller had the opportunity to break the chain by
giving the requested information (a vector) immediately.


Also, the guy may have been IFR, although that certainly isn't clear.

The way I read the transcript, he is IFR. However, that's irrelevant.

What he needed was a direction to turn and he didn't get that
immediately.

He didn't provide ATC with the information necessary for ATC to provide an
appropriate vector, nor should he have needed ATC to tell him which way to
turn anyway.

Regardless of whether it is a controller, a co-worker, or my wife, it
really bugs me when someone doesn't give a direct answer to a question...

It bugs me too, but in this case it's not clear the person who was asked
the question was provided sufficient information to provide an answer.

Here's a snippet of the transcript:

Moments later, Tillman said, "Two, two Lima, we just lost an engine here.
Two, Two Lima, we need a vector (direction) for the beach if possible."

TOWER: Say it again, sir.

TILLMAN: Two, two lima, we, ah our engine just started running rough, we
need a vector if possible.

After this, the controller got into the issues of souls on board, ability to
to maintain altitude, etc. It isn't clear how long the pilot was without the
information he requested (a vector), but some time did pass while the rest
of the conversation took place. Maybe, just maybe, that was the time the
guy needed to keep the airplane out of the water.

Pete

KB