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Heroes Behind the Heroes

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • After the sole pilot of a King Air 200 collapsed and died mid-flight, an inexperienced passenger, Doug White, was forced to take control of the aircraft with his family on board.
  • Air traffic controllers Dan Favio and Brian Norton, along with experienced corporate pilot Kari Sorenson (remotely), collaborated to guide White, providing simplified instructions and focusing on fundamental flight control.
  • This exceptional instance of "cockpit resource management," coordinated entirely outside the cockpit, enabled White to successfully land the complex turboprop airplane safely and without damage.
  • For their swift and selfless actions that saved lives, Kari Sorenson, Dan Favio, and Brian Norton were jointly presented with the FAA Award of Excellence.
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Easter Sunday had begun as just another holiday to spend relaxing. Connecticut was finally beginning to show consistent signs that spring would actually occur. With the encouragement of more pleasant weather, Kari Sorenson started the Model A. He and his girlfriend, Ashley, climbed into the antique car and went for a drive. Neither one of them would contemplate the irony that they were about to experience. Upon their return home, Kari would become involved with a life and death struggle. The life and death struggle would require technology that moved eight decades beyond the Model A.

When Kari’s BlackBerry rang, the caller ID indicated that Dan Favio was calling. Dan had spent two years as an air traffic controller at the Danbury, Connecticut, tower up until his transfer to Naples, Florida, a year and a half earlier. He had transferred again and had begun working at the Fort Myers Tracon/Tower facility within the last month. Dan and Kari had become friends over the years through the typical network of local pilots.

FLYING Staff

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