IMC Emergencies

We were in IMC at 4000 feet, on a vector for the VOR-A approach at the Wichita, Kan., Colonel James Jabara Airport. The airplane was an A36 Bonanza and I was in the instructors seat on the last approach of a day-long training session. This was in the era before GPS, long before iPads and moving-map handhelds, and the owner of this then-well-equipped 36 had ignored the short-lived Loran phase. So we were eastbound on a long downwind, and crabbing into a northerly wind before intercepting the westbound final approach course before circling to Jabaras north/south runway.

Tom Turner

Monday, August 20, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

During an in-flight emergency, especially in IMC, pilots must prioritize "Aviate, Navigate, Communicate" to maintain aircraft control, orient towards an acceptable solution, and inform Air Traffic Control.
As pilot-in-command, make decisive choices and effectively use ATC as a valuable resource for information and monitoring, without delegating ultimate decision-making authority.
Preparedness is crucial, involving understanding the difference between emergencies (requiring memorized actions) and abnormals (allowing time for checklists), and ensuring all backup equipment is readily accessible and practiced for immediate use.

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We were in IMC at 4000 feet, on a vector for the VOR-A approach at the Wichita, Kan., Colonel James Jabara Airport. The airplane was an A36 Bonanza and I was in the instructor’s seat on the last approach of a day-long training session. This was in the era before GPS, long before iPads and moving-map handhelds, and the owner of this then-well-equipped 36 had ignored the short-lived Loran phase. So we were eastbound on a long downwind, and crabbing into a northerly wind before intercepting the westbound final approach course before circling to Jabara’s north/south runway.