11/13/2013 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- While the Minot-based, seven-man crew B-52H Stratofortress, HAIL13, and their Barksdale wingman, HAIL14, were flying over Alaska, they received a call for help from the Anchorage Air Traffic Control Center. The whereabouts of a small Cessna plane had become unknown after its pilot became disoriented after flying into bad weather.

Because the pilot dropped too low in altitude, ATC was unable to communicate with him over the radio, leaving him completely alone in the Alaska sky.

Capt. Andrew J. DesOrmeaux, 69th Bomb Squadron B-52 pilot, described the call they received over the radio from ATC asking for their assistance.

"They called and said they had a pilot over the radio squawking emergency and had completely lost contact with him," said DesOrmeaux. "They asked if we could try and find him and make contact. We didn't know if he was still airborne, or if we would find a crash site." (Snip)

One hundred miles into their detour, HAIL13 was able to locate and make contact with the pilot. He was flying low to the ground through a valley surrounded by rugged Alaska terrain.

"Because we were so high up, we were able to relay messages between him and ATC," explained Middendorf.

Communicating between ATC and the pilot, the HAIL13 crew relayed the weather ahead of the pilot and his best shot at finding the nearest airport.

As the pilot approached Calhoun Memorial Airport in Tanana, Alaska, HAIL13 was able to turn up the brightness of the air field lights over a common traffic advisory frequency, guiding the pilot safely to the ground.

"It was in the middle of Alaska on a Sunday night, there was no one there," said Middendorf. "We were probably his only chance at communicating with anyone. After our flight ATC personnel contacted our base and from their perspective, we saved his life."