Update 27 November 2012: A radio enthusiast from Castlederg in County Tyrone has
been praised for saving the lives hundreds of airline passengers, from his
shed. Benny Young was turning the dial on his radio when he picked up a Mayday call
from a United Airlines flight from Dublin to Boston. Mr Young said he heard the mayday call just before moved to another
frequency. He then relayed information between the pilot and ground control at the
airport.
"I heard two people talking about Hurricane Sandy and that's what made me
stay on the Pacific frequency and I heard the mayday call," Mr Young said. "I ended up talking to the pilot for about 17 minutes and I got the man
operating the emergency net to come up to my frequency. "He could hear me, but he couldn't hear the pilot because of a problem with
the transponders on the ground which had been taken out by the storm.
"We were able to get the plane diverted because the winds were measured at 95
miles an hour at Boston."
Mr Young also helped another plane over the United States on the same
night. "The other plane automatically scanned the frequencies and must have found
us. "I didn't have the time to strike up a conversation this time. "There was great excitement at the time, it was great. "I felt good after it anyway."
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