ATC via SMS
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: Bahrain
ATC via SMS
It's quite a fun story but I suppose not if you were in the plane at the time! 
Irish air traffic controller uses 'text' to land plane
A quick-thinking air traffic controller's texting saved an aircraft with five people on board which had lost all it's (sic) communications and electrical power.
The Piper Seneca light aircraft had taken off from Kerry airport on a flight to Jersey last November when it had a complete electrical failure.
The pilot flew south to clear the coast and clouds and to see the ground. He tried to contact Kerry airport and air traffic control in Cork on his mobile phone. He briefly made contact with Cork, telling them about the problem.
He then received a text message on his mobile from the controller at Cork advising him that he was on radar and that Cork would allow the plane to land.
He followed the controller's instructions given by text. The undercarriage gear had to be lowered manually. The aircraft did a fly-by of the control tower so that controllers could check visually that the wheels were down.
The aircraft landed safely and an air accident investigation report published yesterday said the loss of all aircraft electrics during such a flight was considered very serious.
The report, by investigator John Hughes, praised the "positive and proactive " initiative of the air traffic controller who texted his instructions to the pilot.
Irish air traffic controller uses 'text' to land plane
A quick-thinking air traffic controller's texting saved an aircraft with five people on board which had lost all it's (sic) communications and electrical power.
The Piper Seneca light aircraft had taken off from Kerry airport on a flight to Jersey last November when it had a complete electrical failure.
The pilot flew south to clear the coast and clouds and to see the ground. He tried to contact Kerry airport and air traffic control in Cork on his mobile phone. He briefly made contact with Cork, telling them about the problem.
He then received a text message on his mobile from the controller at Cork advising him that he was on radar and that Cork would allow the plane to land.
He followed the controller's instructions given by text. The undercarriage gear had to be lowered manually. The aircraft did a fly-by of the control tower so that controllers could check visually that the wheels were down.
The aircraft landed safely and an air accident investigation report published yesterday said the loss of all aircraft electrics during such a flight was considered very serious.
The report, by investigator John Hughes, praised the "positive and proactive " initiative of the air traffic controller who texted his instructions to the pilot.
Joined: Apr 2004
Aviation Qualifications: Spotter
Posts: 396
Likes: 0
From: EGMH..a down, not yet out, formerly awesome airfield
Why did they use texts and not just speak on the phone? If there was coverage for texting I'm sure calling would have also worked? 
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 647
Likes: 0
Congrats to all concerned
Perhaps they used text to conserve mobile battey life. Was there not an instance of a concorde flight crew communicating with LHR DIR by phone in the case of total comms failure.? Some time back?
CATIII
CATIII
Last edited by Guest 112233; 7th August 2008 at 11:31. Reason: Wording wrong
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 13,787
Likes: 0
From: EuroGA.org
Heathrow publish several satellite phone numbers for use by airliner crews.
Not sure why these are sat phone numbers because a sat phone cal dial land numbers just the same (albeit much more expensively).
However, airliners would tend to have fixed sat phone installations rather than handhelds (that's my guess). I have tested handheld sat phones in the cockpit and they work OK so long as you assure line of sight to the satellite.
Not sure why these are sat phone numbers because a sat phone cal dial land numbers just the same (albeit much more expensively).
However, airliners would tend to have fixed sat phone installations rather than handhelds (that's my guess). I have tested handheld sat phones in the cockpit and they work OK so long as you assure line of sight to the satellite.
Guest
Posts: n/a
"yo drayton massive, spdbd319 comin atcha"
"yo spdbd. u ok?"
"yeh"
"where u?"
"final"
"ok clrd land"
"spdbd319 nxt lft ctc gnd 121.8"
"soz dude, we msd it, going for nxt"
"amrcn235 go arnd, i say go arnd ackow(del)(del)nowledge. ;-)"
If the controllers are anything like my dad at texting speed, there won't be any need for calls after the go around one.....
"yo spdbd. u ok?"
"yeh"
"where u?"
"final"
"ok clrd land"
"spdbd319 nxt lft ctc gnd 121.8"
"soz dude, we msd it, going for nxt"
"amrcn235 go arnd, i say go arnd ackow(del)(del)nowledge. ;-)"
If the controllers are anything like my dad at texting speed, there won't be any need for calls after the go around one.....
Last edited by Daifly; 7th August 2008 at 18:20. Reason: Callsign confusion! ;-)
Joined: Feb 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 539
Likes: 0
From: one dot low as usual
Not sure why these are sat phone numbers because a sat phone cal dial land numbers just the same
The flight deck satphones work by having shortcodes in their database for ATC centres and various company numbers. Think the company blocked out longhand dialling of any ground numbers a long while ago ;-)
The flight deck satphones work by having shortcodes in their database for ATC centres and various company numbers. Think the company blocked out longhand dialling of any ground numbers a long while ago ;-)
