SAR, So Easy, an Airliner Can Do It

[scoober78]

Saw this story this morning...pretty good stuff. You could come up with way worse SAR platforms in alot of ways...that's alot of eyes looking.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/18/travel/australia-yacht-rescue/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

 

[BACONATOR]

I don't think there's anything special in the SAR TACAID about having 100+ folks in back to assist in searching and/or considerations in a wide-body jet.

AWESOME story! Thanks for sharing.

 

[NavAir42]

On the only SAR flight I ever went on I would have loved to have had 90 more pairs of eyes working with me.

 

[helolumpy]

HSC-3 is calling Air Canada right now to demand a SAR Report...
Air Canada's SAR evaluation needs to be scheduled in the next 3 months or they will no longer be able to stand SAR duty...

 

[xj220]

Just read this and thought it was a great story. For the commercial guys here, obviously this is very rare but do you guys have any plans for SAR if it pops up?

 

[MasterBates]

Been involved in a couple civilian SAR efforts years ago.

Company policy was we would fly around and look if in the area, and had the gas, (and the money was already made) but to launch for it we needed to be asked (and paid) by State LE. Happened a few times when the State Police helos were down or tied up.

Offshore, usually was a more urgent issue, but would assist the USCG out of Otis in looking and deconflict with the OSC.

 

[BusyBee604]

On the only SAR flight I ever went on I would have loved to have had 90 more pairs of eyes working with me.

Agree, on my own SAR, after being picked up along with the downed A-6 pilot, I spent 3 more hours in the helo at the scene, looking for the missing A-6 B/N. In retrospect, it probably wouldn't have made any difference, but at the time we would have appreciated any number of extra sets of eyeballs. The Intruder pilot had seen the chute of his B/N & had survival radio contact with him during the descent. Nothing was ever found but a slowly fading dye marker. He was declared MIA, but upon return of the POWs ...none had ever seen or heard of him in captivity. Several decades later, status changed to KIA (probably hit by mortar fire from the beach, which had actively engaged the floating survivors.
BzB

 

[HAL Pilot]

Just read this and thought it was a great story. For the commercial guys here, obviously this is very rare but do you guys have any plans for SAR if it pops up?

No.

In fact, I was in this type of situation in September 2008. I was flying the 717 on a long base leg to HNL 8L when we were told "traffic is a Coast Guard helo 12 o'clock, 8 miles at 500 feet". Next was "your traffic now 800 feet and 5 miles" (we were at 1500). Then it was " we think the helo just crashed". About 1 minute later I saw a glow in the water and turned slightly toward it. About 1 minute after that I saw the helo on its side underwater and slowly sinking. We told tower we were over the location, that the helo was definitely down and continued our approach. Tower vectored a C-17 that was doing approaches and they stayed until rescue helos got to the scene. I would have circled back around but I knew tower already had the cavalry on the way. (BTW the newspaper articles that said the C-17 saw the helo crash were wrong. The tower controller saw the helo's transponder do rapid altitude changes - up then down - and abruptly disappear and immediately hit the crash alarm. He also immediately passed his concern to us. It was this tower controllers quickly recognizing the situation and quick action that put rescue assets on scene within minutes before the helo sank out of sight. Without him, it would have been a long search. Unfortunately all the crew members died on impact but 3 of the bodies were immediately recovered and the wreckage marked for retrieval. The tower guy deserves massive credit and it pissed me off the press completely f'd it away.)

Our procedures prohibit us being invovled in SAR unless specifically asked, we are the only ones available, its not a major diversion, it does not put our pax at risk, we have the gas, etc. In otherwords, the ducks have to be aligned perfectly. In my case, there were others inbound and would arrive within minutes so by our procedures, I was done. The funny thing is, neither the Captain or I actually knew what our company procedures were until we asked after the incident. They were not (and still aren't) discussed in any ground school and are not in our operations manual. So my guess is that each Captain will either call the company on Satcomm looking for guidance or just do what he thinks is right/safe (wrt his pax) if it ever comes up.

 

[MasterBates]

On the plus side, if you ever wake up somehow in East Coast P-3 mode, you have some knowledges that are all but impossible to find, to make you FO feel like a functional retard that they can't find it in any obvious place.

Not that I ever had a HAC, PC or CAPC pull that shit on me ever.

 

[Gatordev]

Switching gears... This was a nice job by these guys, but my favorite SAR story was the single-handed cruiser who was million miles from anywhere in the South Pacific and became ill. I can't remember if it was an appendicitis or an infection, but he knew he needed help and put out a call via SSB/Ham radio. Because he was so far from anything, no one could immediately get to him, so why not send in the SEALs, right?

The team, which consisted of a SEAL corpsman, a coxswain and one or two others, boarded a C-130 out of Guam (I think) and then flew however far it was. The C-130 located the boat and the SEALs jumped out, then boarded the boat, stabilized the guy and then proceeded to sail the boat the 500 or 1000 miles or whatever it was to port. The guy recovered and lived.

 

[scoolbubba]

That sounds like a pretty good deal after you get the guy all patched up.

"hey dude...since we saved your life and all, we're kind of just going to chill on your boat. you cool with that?"

 

[Swanee]

Switching gears... This was a nice job by these guys, but my favorite SAR story was the single-handed cruiser who was million miles from anywhere in the South Pacific and became ill. I can't remember if it was an appendicitis or an infection, but he knew he needed help and put out a call via SSB/Ham radio. Because he was so far from anything, no one could immediately get to him, so why not send in the SEALs, right?

The team, which consisted of a SEAL corpsman, a coxswain and one or two others, boarded a C-130 out of Guam (I think) and then flew however far it was. The C-130 located the boat and the SEALs jumped out, then boarded the boat, stabilized the guy and then proceeded to sail the boat the 500 or 1000 miles or whatever it was to port. The guy recovered and lived.

I've heard that story before- I think the guy was in a solo around the world race. It may be have been the Vendee Globe. Cool story though!

 

[Uncle Fester]

"Feeling better? Yeah? Good.

...soooo....

...Any booze on this tub?"

 

[BACONATOR]

That sounds like a pretty good deal after you get the guy all patched up.

"hey dude...since we saved your life and all, we're kind of just going to chill on your boat. you cool with that?"

We drank all your liquor. You mad, bro??

 

[PropAddict]

The team, which consisted of a SEAL corpsman, a coxswain and one or two others, boarded a C-130 out of Guam (I think) and then flew however far it was. The C-130 located the boat and the SEALs jumped out, then boarded the boat, stabilized the guy and then proceeded to sail the boat the 500 or 1000 miles or whatever it was to port. The guy recovered and lived.

That's one hell of a Greenlight!