Release #: 15.31
July 23, 2015
ALPA Honors Capt. James Judkins with Superior Airmanship Award
Marietta Pilot Recognized for Successful Emergency Landing
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) today will honor Delta Air Lines Capt. James Judkins for his extraordinary effort in performing an emergency landing in low visibility after a series of inflight electrical failures disabled several of the aircraft’s cockpit systems. ALPA will present the Superior Airmanship Award to Capt. Judkins at its 61st Air Safety Forum.
“Through unparalleled professionalism and years of piloting experience, Capt. Judkins successfully ensured the safety of his passengers and fellow crewmembers in bad weather despite limited instrument references,” said Capt. Michael Donatelli, chairman of the Delta Air Lines pilot group’s Master Executive Council. “Capt. Judkins relied on decades of experience to respond accordingly and led a team effort to keep the aircraft under control and make a safe landing.”
On Dec. 23, 2014, with more than 100 passengers and crewmembers onboard, Delta Air Lines Flight 1990 took off from Atlanta Hartsfield, destined for Savannah, Ga., under a thick blanket of cloud and fog.
Capt. Judkins, with nearly 20 years of experience flying for Delta Air Lines, was monitoring the flight with First Officer Michael Oates performing the flying. As the airplane climbed through 8,000 feet, the pilots noticed that the aircraft began to suffer a series of electrical failures, with multiple malfunction messages appearing on the cockpit displays. The autopilot and autothrottles disconnected, and some of Capt. Judkins’ flight instruments cycled on and off.
Capt. Judkins took the controls and asked First Officer Oates to begin troubleshooting procedures. Multiple fault and failure messages appearing on the cockpit displays left the pilots saturated with information, but Capt. Judkins’ experience led him to identify the most likely starting point—one of the aircraft’s electrical generators.
The messages on the cockpit displays popped up and disappeared so fast, it was difficult to determine the problem and whether any solution was working.
Capt. Judkins declared an emergency with Air Traffic Control (ATC), which began to guide them back to the airport. The emergency lights in the cabin had illuminated, and Capt. Judkins informed passengers that the flight was headed back to Atlanta.
Along the way, some of the instruments began to function again. The weather was worsening, so Capt. Judkins asked ATC for the most precise electronic guidance available to the runway. Capt. Judkins manually flew a “Category II” Instrument Landing System approach—normally flown aided by the autopilot—with visibility on the runway dropping to less than half a mile.
Control of the airplane was difficult due to the loss of systems that normally deal with changes in control pressures resulting from landing gear and wing flap extension. Capt. Judkins and First Officer Oates expertly guided the aircraft to a safe landing despite the challenges presented by this unexpected and hazardous event.
“Capt. Judkins’ actions and expert piloting are the embodiment of what the 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 his commitment to aviation safety. The successful outcome of Flight 1990 highlights the importance of having well-trained, highly skilled, professional pilots who can deftly work together to respond to emergency situations.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the largest airline pilot union in the world and represents over 52,000 pilots at 31 U.S. and Canadian airlines. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.
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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703-481-4440 or Media@alpa.org