VASAviation Awards: Best Pilot and Controller Moments of 2025

Critical Landing Situations

• ✈️ N8115P experienced engine sputtering and opted for an emergency landing in a field.
• ⚠️ DAL2668 had to evacuate on the runway due to an unspecified issue.
• 💥 A plane experienced a massive bird strike, resulting in a broken windshield and blood splatter.
• ⛳ N3753L made an emergency landing on a golf course.
• 🛣️ Multiple instances of planes landing on unconventional surfaces like a small street, a busy highway, and a tiny bike-path are highlighted.
• 🔥 A plane was observed on fire on the runway.

Flight Control and Electrical Emergencies

• ⚡ DAL121 reported flight control problems, requiring a descent to 5,000 feet.
• 🔌 A controller assisted a disoriented pilot with total electrical failure, guiding them to land.
• 🆘 Another controller helped a disoriented pilot, emphasizing the importance of pilot safety.
• 💥 N1004E was scared to land due to bouncing, and an instructor guided her down.
• ✈️ Citation N802TD struggled to keep the aircraft flying.
• 💨 Pilot experienced controllability issues with the aircraft.
• ⚙️ Controllers at Newark expressed frustration with equipment failures.
• ⛽ N2961 whiskey declared an emergency due to oil exploding and leaking onto the windshield.
• 💥 King Air made an autoland after pilot incapacitation.

Emergency Landings and Pilot Actions

• 🚨 Southwest 3278 had its takeoff clearance canceled just in time as it was on the taxiway.
• 🛬 A pilot stated they were not going to make the runway and were looking for a spot to land.
• 🪂 Cirrus parachute was deployed, resulting in a fall into a lake.
• ⛽ Pilot lands after oil explodes, indicating a critical engine issue.
• 💥 Heavy United plane lost one engine on takeoff, requiring an immediate return.

Airspace and ATC Challenges

• 🛰️ An alert was issued for space vehicle debris response in the Caribbean.
• 📡 A pilot reported their scopes went black, leading to a frequency change and a wish for good luck.
• 🚁 A San Diego controller dealt with the challenge of TV helicopters in busy airspace.
• ✈️ Curacao airspace was busy with USAF military planes, creating a complex environment.
• ⚠️ A pilot reported a failed primary flight control cable affecting ailerons, causing a tendency for the jet to go hard left.