Flight Safety Foundation
Professionalism Award in Flight Safety

is presented to

Capt. Jim Gerrell
First Officer Jason Broadwell
Capt. Byron Smith

Capt. Jim Gerrell

First Officer Jason Broadwell

Capt. Byron Smith

For their successful response to an emergency caused by an in-flight fire.

Capt. Gerrell and First Officer Broadwell were the crew of a Fokker F27 cargo flight originating from Buenos Aires, Argentina, on April 27, 2004. Capt. Smith, a company supervisory pilot, was in the observer’s seat. During night cruise flight at 17,000 feet, the cargo-fire warning light illuminated.

Capt. Smith went into the cargo cabin to investigate and discovered an intense fire that nearly reached the cabin ceiling, close to where the elevator-control and rudder-control cables were located, and billowing smoke. The crew’s training took over as they made radio calls, performed checklists and re-positioned switches, all with calm, orderly, professional precision. Meanwhile Capt. Smith discharged two hand-held fire extinguishers, but the fire was out of control.

Air traffic control told Capt. Gerrell that the nearest suitable airport was 90 miles away — too far. The captain spotted the lights of a small town and asked ATC if the town had an airport. He was told that Melo, Uruguay, had a small airport but the runway lights were off because no arrivals were expected. The airport was invisible, but First Officer Broadwell and Capt. Smith used the global positioning system to locate the airport and fly a course toward it. At the last minute, the airport official in charge was awakened by telephone and ran to the tower to turn on the runway lights. With time for only one approach, the crew landed the airplane, performed the on-ground emergency checklist and exited via the right window because the cockpit door was too hot to touch; the aircraft was destroyed.

Flight Safety Foundation is proud to recognize Capt. Jim Gerrell, First Officer Jason Broadwell and Capt. Byron Smith for fulfillment of their professional duty under extremely urgent and trying circumstances.

FSF 58th International Air Safety Seminar
Moscow, Russia
November 9, 2005

Stuart Matthews
President and CEO
Flight Safety Foundation

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