Originally Posted by
Jabawocky
Second hand but from a close source.
1. SAR cancelled moments before the engine flamed out and a botched auto rotation resulted in the crash.
2. Well known chopper pilot who knew exactly where they would be was blocked from boarding rescue choppers and or flying his own to the scene, so when told approximately where to look they missed the wreck.
Well known local would have found it exactly. Sad state of "regulatory/risk averse" SAR procedures.
AMSA will get a message from me at least.
3. Pilot will not come out looking rosy if what I hear is found to be true, but the rescue should have been swifter for sure. No excuses. Lucky the boats found did what they did.
And yes a spider track or PLB would have been helpful for sure.
Jabawocky.
Your close source might not be such a close source after all.
Let me inform you on how Search and Rescues are coordinated which may help shape your future posts..
1. FACT.. Initially QLD police thought they were looking for an upturned vessel.
why is that? based on initial items recovered because id say no one knew of a helicopter being in the area.. just a guess....
however...This would be the information the first Search was based on...
All Rescue Crews (Heli, Boat, Plane ) are given search instructions by QLD police or AMSAR! When further information came to light via the first search it was discovered that a helicopter had departed Brisbane days before. Meanwhile, 1st search completed and Its now heading into the evening..
QLD police and AMSAR would then change Search instructions and areas to be searched based on this information and with Oz runways info now on hand, A new Plan would be devise. Now this is passed onto all Rescue Crews that, again, plan a new Search based on these instructions and information.
Based on Actual conditions at night QLD Police, AMSAR and Rescue Crews then decide how to best search the area and WHEN to conduct the search for best conditions. Moonlight is NVGs best friend.. no moonlight and the only thing you will see is what's in the searchlight itself...that's not helpful to survivors or people needing assistance..
Assets do not just go flying and hope they come across something, they are given search patterns or locations and specific instructions that must be followed..
Weather will impose limits with time on site and rain or low cloud etc will restrict visibility..
Questions that could be asked are the following
Did the pilot submit a flight plan or note telling describing the flight path the Helicopter would be taking and any planned diversions due weather.
Fishing gear means he would be landing at spots to fish. who would know where to find them?... without a note stating the area they were in or what locations they were going to land..
This local pilot you mention. At what point did he present himself to police with what ever info he had? was it only after they discovered a helicopter may be involved? And what? Was he going to head out at night to search? does he have all the training and approvals to conduct an operation of this type? or be part of an AMSAR operation? Was he asked to be involved by AMSAR or QLD police?
Rescue crews are only allowed to take essential personnel on board. If the Local pilot knew the area they were in then that information would have been passed on to crews directly.. instead, OZ runways covered that base considerably..
So of course Joe blogs had the brakes put on him... the last thing AMSAR, QLD police or the Rescue Crews need is some untrained pilot doing his own thing. That increases risk to all involved..
If QLD police had known from the outset they were searching for a helicopter the outcome may have been different..
3. Pilot will not come out looking rosy if what I hear is found to be true,
The way it reads initially...are you slandering the rescue crew? I trust this statement is directed at the Pilot of the Jetranger?
My View.. id say you friend is lucky to be alive..
Feel free to thank the rescue crews that went out at night with crap weather about and searched for him...
In saying the above..
No i am not involved with this operation in anyway, but I've done a numerous AMSAR tasks and just some info i received which I thought you might like to know.
all the best to you.