Robert E. Irion, Sandy, Utah: an interview by Benjamin Bahlmann, September 20, 2002: Saving the legacy tape no. 537, 538, and 539

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Rob rt E. Irion eptember 201 h, 2002 ab ard his plane had been damaged in a formation accident - he didn't tell us that at th time - but he calls and he wants a steer on A.D.F. And they gave him a steer. And he tells them all these dire circumstances. He says "I've got twenty minutes of gas left." And this guy comes over on his first pass and isn't lined up near the runway. The airplane, because he's got two engines out on the right side, is crabbing so bad it is just going half-sideways, you know, as it crosses over you, couldn't line up to hit a runway. They had just this one runway open. It wasn't anywhere near lined up. It goes out of sight down there toward where that B-24 was staying. So the fire department and the ambulance started chasing down there because they thought he was going to hit it he was so low. Came back, here he is calling on the radio again: "Give me another steer." They gave him another steer and while they were doing this, trying to give this guy steers, this guy made about four passes - three passes, I guess. Three passes. But while they're doing this they're trying to clean off the planes from another runway. They had damaged planes parked on it and they're trying to clean off, tow, trying to get them out of there. And the third time this guy came over this guy's not quite lined up with the runway but he's half-way lined up with it. And he put her down on the thing, went down to the intersection, skidded around the intersection off into the grass there and we went out in the jeep with this officer that was there. 110