Release #: 16.35
August 25, 2016
ALPA Honors Capt. Terry VanHoose with Superior Airmanship Award
Circleville Pilot Recognized for Successful Emergency Landing
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) announced that it will honor ExpressJet Capt. Terry VanHoose for his extraordinary effort in performing an emergency landing after an unprecedented malfunction of airspeed instruments during inclement weather conditions. ALPA will present this year’s Superior Airmanship Award to Capt. VanHoose at an awards banquet during the 62nd Air Safety Forum in Washington, D.C.
“Capt. VanHoose’s expert piloting and problem solving ensured the safety of his passengers and fellow crewmembers,” said Capt. Dave Allen, chairman of the ExpressJet pilot group’s Master Executive Council. “Capt. VanHoose relied on his basic flying fundamentals in order to respond accordingly in a particularly stressful environment. His instinct and leadership enabled the crew to keep the situation from escalating and, because of those efforts, they were able to make a safe landing.”
On May 11, 2015, ExpressJet Flight 4291 took off from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to San Luis Potosí, Mexico. After an initial delay, the flight departed just prior to midnight and the crew faced a challenging flight ahead as extreme weather covered most of the flight path.
Capt. VanHoose, a seasoned pilot with nearly 26 years of experience, was working the flight with First Officer Mark Moser [read the press release for F/O Moser]. After maneuvering around a patch of inclement weather, they initially leveled off around 34,000 feet but contacted Air Traffic Control (ATC) requesting a higher altitude in hopes of providing passengers with a smoother ride.
The crew flew around additional areas of deteriorating weather and 125 miles into their new flight path they began to see anomalies in their basic flight instruments. As the crew evaluated the situation, they quickly realized that they had lost both of their air data computers, meaning that the basic flight instruments were unreliable.
Capt. VanHoose took the controls and tasked First Officer Moser to run the appropriate troubleshooting procedures. With multiple faults presenting, Capt. VanHoose’s experience led him to identify the most likely starting point and he instructed First Officer Moser to run the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) procedure associated with an unreliable airspeed.
Disconnecting the autopilot, Capt. VanHoose flew the aircraft manually as the crew continued through their checklist. With weather conditions worsening and mountainous terrain along their route, combined with the current condition of the aircraft, the crew determined that continuing to Mexico was not an option and requested assistance from Air Traffic Control (ATC).
Utilizing all resources available, the crew was able to find acceptable conditions in San Antonio, Tex., and elected to divert. To make matters worse, shortly after turning back to the north and deviating around the thunderstorms in the area, the aircraft was struck by lightning. A quick assessment determined no additional loss to their already minimal number of flight instruments.
Relying on their manual flying skills and combined years of experience, the crew safely landed the 50-passenger jet at San Antonio International Airport shortly before 2:00 am local time.
“Capt. VanHoose’s actions and expert piloting is a shining example of what ALPA’s Superior Airmanship Award celebrates,” said Capt. Tim Canoll, ALPA president. “His years of experience and leadership in the cockpit are a tremendous asset to ALPA, and we celebrate dedication to aviation safety. The successful outcome of Flight 4291 highlights the importance of having well-trained, highly skilled, professional pilots who can skillfully work together to respond to emergency situations.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 54,000 pilots at 31 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.
-###-
CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org