Mayday In Utah

For what it’s worth, there were very good reasons as I saw it to call
“mayday” while over the desert in Utah. But I also committed a
fundamental error of not having clearly located a suitable landing site
within gliding distance. I was soaring some low hills with good lift
about 30-40 miles west of Parowan. Conditions were good, but a cold front
was over Utah that day and nights were near freezing in the desert. The
area was so desolate that for the previous 90 minutes I had not seen a
house or a car below me.

So when my engine failed to start due to a weak battery, I immediately
called Parowan Unicom to let people know my location. There was no answer
on Unicom, so I called 121.5 “mayday” to make sure at least someone would
know where to find me if I ended up in the bush.

I immediately began flying south toward the only indication of
civilization I had seen, which were a couple of green “crop circles.”
Nellis AFB immediately responded, and I gave my position. After about
five miles southbound, I found a road and figured at least I would not
have to land in the bush. More crop circles appeared, and eventually I
saw what looked like possibly an old runway with some structures south of
it. About the time, Nellis identified it as Beryl Junction, which turned
out to be an abandoned gravel crop duster strip which was not in my Garmin
data base. I made it onto that strip with no sweat. Nellis did a great
job, and after I was on the ground I was able to let them know via cell
that all was well. (Radio contact was lost in the final 1,500 feet.)

When I made my “mayday,” I was unaware of any suitable landing site within
gliding distance. Beryl Junction shows on the sectional, but it’s on the
other side of the sheet I was using. I was too busy flying and looking
for a landing site to take the time to adequately check out the sectional.
That was another error. But the terrain and frigid weather made it seem to
me in the first minutes of my final glide that I had to make sure of
contacting someone, thus the “mayday.” Could the “mayday” have been
avoided? Sure, when looking at it in retrospect.

On Jun 17, 8:58 am, Steve Wilson wrote:
For what it’s worth, there were very good reasons as I saw it to call
“mayday” while over the desert in Utah. But I also committed a
fundamental error of not having clearly located a suitable landing site
within gliding distance.

Steve, thanks for the report and honest critique. I think many of us
with extensive XC experience have been in a situation similar to yours
at one time or another. It's good to know that what you did is a
viable option, and not something to be afraid to do. The discussion
over the last few days on RAS has also provided some good insights and
things to consider. But in the end, it's best not to second guess
one's own situation in the heat of the moment and just take the safer
option.

-Tom

On Jun 17, 10:58 am, Steve Wilson wrote:
For what it’s worth, there were very good reasons as I saw it to call
“mayday” while over the desert in Utah. But I also committed a
fundamental error of not having clearly located a suitable landing site
within gliding distance. I was soaring some low hills with good lift
about 30-40 miles west of Parowan. Conditions were good, but a cold front
was over Utah that day and nights were near freezing in the desert. The
area was so desolate that for the previous 90 minutes I had not seen a
house or a car below me.

So when my engine failed to start due to a weak battery, I immediately
called Parowan Unicom to let people know my location. There was no answer
on Unicom, so I called 121.5 “mayday” to make sure at least someone would
know where to find me if I ended up in the bush.

I immediately began flying south toward the only indication of
civilization I had seen, which were a couple of green “crop circles.”
Nellis AFB immediately responded, and I gave my position. After about
five miles southbound, I found a road and figured at least I would not
have to land in the bush. More crop circles appeared, and eventually I
saw what looked like possibly an old runway with some structures south of
it. About the time, Nellis identified it as Beryl Junction, which turned
out to be an abandoned gravel crop duster strip which was not in my Garmin
data base. I made it onto that strip with no sweat. Nellis did a great
job, and after I was on the ground I was able to let them know via cell
that all was well. (Radio contact was lost in the final 1,500 feet.)

When I made my “mayday,” I was unaware of any suitable landing site within
gliding distance. Beryl Junction shows on the sectional, but it’s on the
other side of the sheet I was using. I was too busy flying and looking
for a landing site to take the time to adequately check out the sectional.
That was another error. But the terrain and frigid weather made it seem to
me in the first minutes of my final glide that I had to make sure of
contacting someone, thus the “mayday.” Could the “mayday” have been
avoided? Sure, when looking at it in retrospect.

Thanks Steve for letting us know what happened.
Certainly no 2nd guessing the call from this corner.
Be careful out there,
Best Regards, Dave "YO electric"

Steve:

Many thanks for the report. I would have done pretty much the same in
those circumstances.

I know that area very well (both from the air and on the ground) and
it is very sparsely populated desert with few roads and spotty
cellphone coverage. I also spotted the same strip from the air during
last year's Region 9, so it's nice to know that it's landable.

Some strips that are on the sectional or the soaring database no
longer exist or are unlandable.

Mike

On Jun 17, 7:58*am, Steve Wilson wrote:
For what it’s worth, there were very good reasons as I saw it to call
“mayday” while over the desert in Utah. *But I also committed a
fundamental error of not having clearly located a suitable landing site
within gliding distance. *I was soaring some low hills with good lift
about 30-40 miles west of Parowan. *Conditions were good, but a cold front
was over Utah that day and nights were near freezing in the desert. * *The
area was so desolate that for the previous 90 minutes I had not seen a
house or a car below me. *

So when my engine failed to start due to a weak battery, I immediately
called Parowan Unicom to let people know my location. *There was no answer
on Unicom, so I called 121.5 “mayday” to make sure at least someone would
know where to find me if I ended up in the bush.

I immediately began flying south toward the only indication of
civilization I had seen, which were a couple of green “crop circles.”
Nellis AFB immediately responded, and I gave my position. *After about
five miles southbound, I found a road and figured at least I would not
have to land in the bush. *More crop circles appeared, and eventually I
saw what looked like possibly an old runway with some structures south of
it. About the time, Nellis identified it as Beryl Junction, which turned
out to be an abandoned gravel crop duster strip which was not in my Garmin
data base. *I made it onto that strip with no sweat. *Nellis did a great
job, and after I was on the ground I was able to let them know via cell
that all was well. *(Radio contact was lost in the final 1,500 feet.)

When I made my “mayday,” I was unaware of any suitable landing site within
gliding distance. *Beryl Junction shows on the sectional, but it’s on the
other side of the sheet I was using. * I was too busy flying and looking
for a landing site to take the time to adequately check out the sectional.
That was another error. *But the terrain and frigid weather made it seem to
me in the first minutes of my final glide that I had to make sure of
contacting someone, thus the “mayday.” *Could the “mayday” have been
avoided? Sure, when looking at it in retrospect. *

Steve

I think it is fine to err on the side of caution if you are in doubt.
We don't need more disappearances in the desert.

My only comment was you mentioned a Garmin database, I'm assuming you
have a Garmin Aviation unit and using it's built in database. Beryl
Junction is not in the current Garmin databses AFAIK but it is in the
local Parowan turnpoint databases available on Soaring Turnpoint
Exchange. Other strips like Sun Valley are also in the database but
I'm unsure of their condition and your ships wingspan etc. (there is
probably a better strip just south east of Sun Valley but may still be
marginal) I'd want to make sure I had that database loaded if for no
other reason but reporting positions relative to soaring turnpoints to
other pilots. There are also some additional old strips in the desert
in that broad area a few are in bad condition, have birms etc. but
might be better than putting down in the weeds, as would the crop
circles (I'd expect to take a crop circle over an old strip where I
suspected tall birms).

Darryl

PS. Not that it was an option for Steve but if I had to pick a place
to landout (north) west of Parowan it would be Milford. What a
friendly FBO. Landed out there one day with another glider and the FBO
really looked after us, cold drinks, snacks, got to sit and watch TV
and read aviation magazines in air conditioned comfort until our crews
(fellow pilots) arrived. I thought we were going to be kicked out when
the staff left but they just asked us to lock up when we left. Then to
top it off the retrieve volunteers arrived with BBQ dinner and cold
beer.