NORDO radio "commotion" in Livermore Class D

[VTPilot]

Thanks to Chris on the Aopa board for finding this for us:

Livermore, CA (LVK)


Was listening to Livermore Tower earlier today on LiveATC and there was a Cherokee (Warrior) in the pattern ignoring radio calls!! Yet a few minutes later confessed he had "heard everything" and didn't want to talk due to all the commotion. Yep - he got the # to call! It was unbelievable. Here's a transcript.... (other aircraft calls omitted). There was definitely no commotion during the half dozen times tower requested him to rock his wings, yet he didn't acknowledge...


Here's the aircraft, by the way:
http://www.oaklandflyers.com/aircraft/N9284M.html

I hope he has a good story.



[0:05]

Tower> Cherokee 84M, runway 25L cleared for the option.

84M> 25L cleared for the option 9284M


[4:53]

(assuming he was still on upwind...?)

Tower> (stepped on) ....if able start your left turn

Tower> Cherokee 84M if able start your left turn

Tower> Cherokee 84M do you hear Livermore Tower?

Tower> Cherokee 84M, Livermore Tower, if you hear me, rock your wings

Tower> Cherokee 84M, rock your wings

Tower> Cherokee 84M, 25L clear to land. I do not observe you rocking wings. Clear to land only.


[6:55]

Tower> Cherokee 84M, 25L clear to land only, rock your wings.

[a/c was on downwind]

Tower> Cessna 7AH, follow NORDO Cherokee on downwind over Attitude, 25L cleared for the option, report him in sight.


[9:25]

84M> Livermore Tower, 9284M is on frequency. We heard everything, we just didn't want to talk while there was all that commotion.

Tower> Cherokee 84M, where are you going now??

84M> We're ready to turn in for base as soon as we can find out our sequence 84M.

Tower> 84M we have your full call sign. Wherever you're going, you call Livermore Tower, the number is 443-0666.

84M> 84M........ 84M's departing on a downwind.

Tower> 84M <sigh> GOOD DAY 


[11:25]

Tower> 84M are you 5 miles east crossing final at 2,500'?

84M> 84M that's affirmative, we're clear of your Class D airspace.

Tower> Cherokee 84M, yeah I highly recommend you call Livermore tower. What time will you call?

84M> When we get back to Oakland.

Tower> Ok, so within the hour.

84M> That's affirmative.

[moto400ex]

There are some stupid people out there...   How can not respond to your call sign no matter how much traffic there is.

[cessna157]

Haha
"Tower, you were calling me so many times I didn't know when to respond, so I thought I'd just fly around for a minute while you dealt with some pilot named Nordo"

[VTPilot]

Haha
"Tower, you were calling me so many times I didn't know when to respond, so I thought I'd just fly around for a minute while you dealt with some pilot named Nordo"

lol

[crash]

Ive heard the term Onguard used for some people what does onguard mean? Sorry if its a simple question, just would like to know.

[XTSKid]

Ive heard the term Onguard used for some people what does onguard mean? Sorry if its a simple question, just would like to know.

"On Guard" means they are broadcasting on 121.5 which is the guard/emergency frequency in the United States. Most commercial aircraft, or aircraft with dual VHF's will have 1 tuned to guard channel at all times. An example transmission would be "This is United States Air Force On Guard, Calling aircraft Nxxx, (position), etc)"  Usually it will be used as a last resort to raise comms with an aircraft that isn't responding or busts some type of airspace.

Hope this helps!

[Greg01]

...or a stuck mike...

[Hollis]

Actually, the 121.5 frequency is the International Emergency one used by any and/or all aircraft, civilian or military. All Ground stations monitor it at all times.

[crash]

ok, thanks guys

[davolijj]

Actually, the 121.5 frequency is the International Emergency one used by any and/or all aircraft, civilian or military. All Ground stations monitor it at all times.

Also 243.0 for military.

[Hollis]

Right you are. I forgot the UHF band.
These are the International Radio distress frequencies:

500 kHz * International Distress
2182 kHz HF Marine Distress
8364 kHZ HF Maritime Safety
121.5 MHz VHF Distress
243 MHz UHF Distress

* As of 1999, 500 KHz is no longer monitored by the world's coast guards.

[Mroberts3]

Wow what are the odds? I got my private in that exact airplane back in 2005. At least I never did anything that dumb while flying her.

[will.friedrich]

The voice sounds so familiar... 

[fholbert]

Actually, the 121.5 frequency is the International Emergency one used by any and/or all aircraft, civilian or military. All Ground stations monitor it at all times.

If you transmit on 121.5 can it be heard on 243.0?

DO DO DO DO DO DO DO.. DO DO DO DO DODODODOD.javascript:replaceText(' ', document.forms.postmodify.message);
shocked

[rpd]

No.

[laylow]

OK, so not being a pilot or controller, I don't really know, what happens when a pilot is given the tower number to call?  Do they get ripped a new one?

[astawebb]

ripped a new one? probably. they most likely want to find out why under any circumstances they would decide to leave the pattern after they were clear to land and NOT notify the tower.  They prolly also want to know what "commotion" was going on because it certainly wasnt on ATC..

Just a side note, I used to fly Cessna 7AH... good times.... However I promise it wasnt me in the pattern behind him that day.... I think...

[keith]

I would be very curious to know if any action was taken against this pilot.  I don't think I've ever seen such poor decision making.

I know a pilot who is married to a controller that works in the LVK cab, I'll see if I can find out what became of this incident, if anything.

[philip]

That is shocking, did it look like this video if he rocked his wings