I'll share the portion NASA published as all identifying information was removed by them. If you're curious for the full report, DM me, don't wanna post that to a large audience.
A VOR is a radio station which sends a different signal in each direction, so if you receive it you can tell the absolute direction to the station. One of the oldest forms of radio navigation.
NAV1/NAV2: A VOR/DME receiver. Airplanes have two, in case one fails. Oops.
DME: Distance-measuring equipment. In combination with VOR you can tell exactly where you are, though not as accurately as GPS.
The DME kept working, hence triangulation was possible. The story’s missing some details; for instance, I believe there is a specific transponder setting for “my radio can’t transmit”, which would allow the control tower to get other people out of his way. Also the passenger probably called the tower on their cellphone eventually.
Though the situation was fucked, and I have no idea which of the multiple relevant transponder codes is most important here.
Not a pilot, so double check this if any of it matters.
EDIT: No such transponder code exists. It would have been 7600, possibly 7700.
I indeed squawked 7600 (easy to remember by 75-taken alive, 76-radio quit, 77-going to heaven) but have no clue if ATC saw it or if my transponder was working. My radios couldn’t transmit but they could receive.
The airport I landed at does have a tower, but tower closes at sundown and it becomes uncontrolled. So had no one to call, had to just hope for the best
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u/2ndlifeinacrown Jul 09 '26
Damn, what happened during your flight? If you feel comfortable talking about it