ZLA Weather Unit – 11:03 P.M. / 0603Z

Even after thirty years, Rick was surprised at how fast Mother nature could throw a curve.  He looked at the weather reports and radar returns and saw how fast things had developed.  Rick had called the Los Angeles National Weather Service forecast office and talked to the meteorologist there.  He was just as surprised at how fast the thunderstorms had developed.  He told Rick that he would alert the Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City.  As Rick adjusted the Doppler Radar display, the Area Manager in Charge (AMIC) Tom Lamond, came over to the weather unit.
                “What’s going on, Rick?” Tom asked.  Before Rick could respond, Tom added jokingly. “You couldn’t wait another hour till quitting time?  You had to go and start some thunderstorms because you were bored?”
                “I just thought I’d give you something to do before you went home, since you had it so easy tonight,” Rick responded.  “The American taxpayers deserve some work out of you.”
                Tom looked at Rick and said, “It’s not like YOU were overworked tonight either.”
                They both laughed as Tom asked Rick to explain what was developing and how the weather was going to affect center operations.  Rick explained, “This is an unusual pattern, Tom.  You know how hot it was today.  Some areas of the desert and in Death Valley were over one hundred and fifteen degrees.”
                Rick pointed to a weather map and continued, “There is what we call a “Heat Low” that runs through the desert area from Mexico to north to Oregon.  Today’s high heat along with a very low pressure gradient caused moisture to flow up from the Gulf of California.  Normally, these thunderstorms form further east of this area, over toward Phoenix.”
                Rick drew a line on the surface map from Phoenix north to Salt Lake City.
                “Today, because of the low pressure, the moisture came in and formed the storms here,” Rick said as he pointed to the storms that had developed in the Palm Springs and Twenty Nine Palms area.
                “Just be glad these storms developed this late and not during the busier part of the day,” Rick said.
                Tom could see that the storms had developed right over the south portion of the Civet arrival and Lax Two departure route.  Had this developed during the day, traffic in and out of Los Angeles and San Diego areas would still be backed up.
                Rick turned to Tom and said, “We have another problem that you should be aware of with this system.”
                “What’s that?” Tom asked.
                Just as Rick was about to explain, his telephone rang.  “Hold that thought,” Rick said as he reached for the phone.

************

Before Eric could reply, Patty called, “Suncom one, say your altitude please.  I show you at one two thousand five hundred.”
                Eric and Ron both looked at the altimeter and saw that they were five hundred feet low.  “We are climbing back to one three thousand,” Eric replied, “And thanks for the information.”
                Eric and Ron both exchanged glances, both wondering how they lost five hundred feet in altitude.
                 “Suncom one, you are clear of arrival traffic, climb and maintain flight level two one zero.”
                Eric responded to the clearance as Ron advanced the throttles to climb power.  As the G-1 started a shallow climb, Eric turned to Bob and said, “Mr. Tatum, had you not distracted us from our job, we would have caught that altitude deviation.  Please go sit down.”
                Bob Tatum returned to his seat in the cabin as Suncom one crossed Daggett and turned east towards Needles, California.

Suncom One – 11:23 P.M. / 0623Z

                Eric was still dumbfounded by what was happening.  The G-1 was climbing slowly through fifteen thousand when the climb slowly stopped.  The autopilot kept advancing the throttles in an effort to keep the aircraft climbing.  Eric and Ron both computed, in their pre-flight planning, that the G-1 would have no problem climbing to flight level two one zero.  No matter that the engines were almost at full power, the G-1 would not climb.  In fact, the aircraft was now in a three hundred foot per minute descent.  Additionally, the controls were very mushy.  Only the rudder seemed to respond to any control inputs.

ZLA Sector 19 – 11:25 P.M. / 0625Z

                Patty radioed Suncom one.  “Suncom one, Los Angeles, have you figured out what the problem is?”
                For about ten seconds there was silence, then there were several short radio transmissions.
                “Los Angeles, Suncom one…we currently have full power applied to the engines….They are operating normal….However, we cannot hold altitude.  The aircraft keeps descending….The controls are not responding properly….We have put in a full left turn deflection to turn, but the aircraft is turning very slowly.  We are trying to avoid both the restricted area and trying to keep away from the thunderstorms….I’m ….I’m still not sure just what is wrong.”
                Tom and Patty looked at each other quizzically as the pilot spoke.  Tom looked up at the ceiling after hearing the pilot’s description of what was happening.
                Tom repeated, “Full power and still descending?”
                “Tom,” Rick said.  “I may know what’s wrong.”

ZLA Sector 19
Suncom One – 11:31 P.M. / 0631Z