March 12, 2019 Jerry Phan, Formation Pilot

The Liberty Gazette

March 12, 2019

Ely Air Lines
By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

On his way home from a fly-in, a pilot encountered another aircraft in trouble. It was full of passengers, circling, and low on fuel. Here is their story.

On July 9, 2016 at 9:38 pm, from the skies above Los Angeles came a distress call to SoCal Approach, the air traffic controllers who manage that busy airspace.

A pilot flying a Diamond Twin Star had declared an emergency. Gear lights in the cockpit indicated the landing gear had failed to come down. The pilot circled above the El Monte airport considering his options. Had the extension system failed, or were the indicators malfunctioning?

The controller noticed nearby traffic on her radar but assumed it was too dark for anyone in the passing aircraft to see whether the gear was down.

Out of the darkness came a voice. “El Monte area traffic, this is Katana, I am about three miles north of the airport. I can take a look at that aircraft. I am formation trained.” The pilot of the single-engine Katana had special training in flying close to other aircraft.

He instructed the Twin Star pilot. “Circle over the airport. Try to stay at pattern altitude and I’ll join on you.” He’d stay 300’ above the distressed aircraft until he could see it. Once in sight, he verified its airspeed before closing in—80 knots. “Slow down and make a fifteen-degree bank to the left.” The Twin Star slowed to 73.

“You’re off my nine o’clock now. I’m gonna begin my join, okay?” Katana advised him to continue the shallow turn. Unexpected variations in speed, altitude and turning could be disastrous.

It was so dark, he needed to get a few feet closer, but the Twin Star was now at 82. From the unstable flying, he sensed the other pilot’s nervousness. “What’s your name, bud?” he asked.

“Anthony. What’s yours?”

“Jerry.”

Anthony was happy for the help. “Thank you, Jerry,” he said. Meanwhile, his daughters were on the ground, worried, as they listened through hand-held radios.

Jerry repeated, “Slow down and keep turning.” Several minutes passed. Then finally, he delivered the good news. “Both mains are down, nose gear is down. You’re good.”

“I don’t know how to thank you!” exclaimed a very relieved Anthony.

The gear was down, but they didn’t know if it was locked into position. As Jerry moved behind Anthony’s plane to follow him in, another voice came over the radio. “Rescue One. We are gonna be staged at midfield.”

On final approach, Jerry offered encouragement. “Looking good, Anthony.”

Rescue One chimed in. “You’re looking good.”

As he landed, Anthony’s gratitude shone through radio. “Thank you all for being with me!”

The approach controller was happy, too. “Glad to hear you’re down and safe.”

And Jerry Phan, who you’ll meet again next week, says he’s just a regular American who loves to help others, and admits, “I’ve never been so grateful to have learned to become a formation pilot. This is about the fellowship of aviators.”

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