Bronx
30th Aug 2002, 09:48
http://www.sikorsky.com/Images/SAC_Sikorsky_Aircraft_Corporation/US-en/Hansa_Survivors.JPG
Spanish and Portuguese survivors inbound aboard the S-61
A needle-in-a-haystack night ocean rescue in gale-driven seas off Scotland has resulted in Sikorsky Winged-S Rescue Awards for the crew of a Bristow-operated S-61 helicopter.
The Sikorsky S-61 managed to lower a winchman into a life raft in pitch-black conditions. Nine crewmen from a sunken German fishing boat were rescued. The mission was flown at the extremities of range -- within five minutes to bone-dry fuel tanks.
Awards went to the pilot, Capt. Clark Broad; copilot, Capt. Neill Stephenson; winch operator, Julian (Smiler) Grinney, and winchman Chris Murray. The airmen base their missions at Stornoway Airport on Scotland's Isle of Lewis.
Shortly after 11 p.m. on March 5, 2001, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Clyde, Scotland, received a 406MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert. A Canadian Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft was diverted from an exercise over the Atlantic to investigate. The EPIRB identified the German fishing vessel Hansa. A Royal Air Force Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft was scrambled to assist in the search.
Thirty minutes after midnight, the commander of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter based in Stornoway was called at home and informed that a 406MHz hit had been received approximately 200 nautical miles south west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. The Rescue Helicopter ?Rescue MU? (RMU) was tasked to proceed to Benbecula (nearest fuel and also the most Westerly point of land to the incident) to refuel to maximum and await instructions.
On-scene winds were 35 to 45 knots (40-52mph), gale force 8. En-route to Benbecula, RMU was informed that a life raft had been sighted and its position was passed. The helicopter crew calculated the position to be 205 nautical miles from Benbecula. With the present and forecast wind they estimated they would have 20 minutes on-scene to carry out a rescue utilizing a maximum over-loaded fuel state incorporating the use of the internal long-range tank. This would allow a landing back at Benbecula with a 15-minute fuel reserve.
Upon arrival on-scene with no spare fuel to search and without radar or FLIR contact, the crew had to trust that the last position passed was accurate. It was pitch black and totally overcast; the aircraft is not equipped for night vision goggle cockpit operations. The aircraft used an automatic transition to gain a hover in the last position given.
When the winch operator opened the aircraft door, he noticed a faint light in the 4 o?clock position. The aircraft was established in an automatic hover and maneuvered by the winch operator using auxiliary manual control from the winching position. The sea state was so big and confused that the aircraft system could not cope and continually uncoupled the auto hover.
The aircraft commander elected to help the system by flying the height channel manually with the copilot calling heights. This meant that he had to keep the aircraft low enough to winch, but not so low as to be hit by the sea.
It would have been impossible to lower a hoist cable to the life raft (the preferred method) as the survivors inside the life raft and under its canopy would not have seen it with the sea spray and aircraft lights. The winchman would have to be lowered straight into the raft accurately and quickly. This is difficult enough in good conditions.
The Winch Operator did an amazing job and positioned his winchman on top of the raft first time. The aircraft was having great difficulty holding a hover over the moving raft. At times the winchman used his own brute strength to keep the raft from being blown/washed away from the helicopter.
Nine survivors were found in the raft, wet, cold and suffering from shock. Despite this, the winchman quickly and efficiently took charge of the mostly non-English speaking group. He was able to continually strop and dispatch them clear two at a time into the aircraft from the wildly unstable and crowded platform. During the operation the winch operator suffered a painful shoulder injury caused by the rapid lateral outward movement of the winch cable in the high sea state. But he continued despite his injury.
After 20 minutes of outstanding crew cooperation and perseverance, nine survivors and the winch man were recovered to the aircraft.
The rescue had used five minutes of reserve fuel and the crew concern was that the wind would not be any more adverse than forecast. The helicopter rapidly headed for the nearest point of inhabited land, the coastal airfield of Benbecula.
Shortly after departing the rescue scene, the crew ascertained from the captain of the Hansa (one of the 9 survivors) that 16 men had entered the water from the rapidly sinking boat, this left seven men still missing. These men all had some form of floatation including five in survival suits. The difficult decision to leave the search area with seven potential survivors nearby was made for the sake of the majority involved. The options to use a nearby container ship or attempt a landfall on the remote Island of St Kilda in the prevailing conditions was discussed by the crew and ruled out. The Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ships in the area continued to search.
The survivors were hypothermic and in various states of shock, but otherwise uninjured. Unfortunately the aircraft heater could not be used as it would consume valuable engine fuel and the en-route winds now posed a new concern. The crew determined that with only 10 minutes reserve fuel, they should conserve every pound. The helicopter coasted in and landed on the shore side runway threshold at Benbecula with a total of five minutes fuel remaining.
The survivors were passed to awaiting medical care and the aircraft re-fuelled in preparation to return to the scene if required.
Later that day, helicopter RMU was informed that another survivor had been sighted and was tasked to launch; the survivor was alive and had been in the sea for 12 hours. Shortly after takeoff, it was determined by the crew that at 212 nautical miles and with changed adverse wind, this survivor was just out of range. A fishing vessel recovered the survivor and an Irish Coastguard S-61 helicopter was tasked to proceed from Ireland to conduct a transfer.
The helicopter crew's efforts were recognized by a tribute in the European Parliament.
Impressive story.
Makes flying around New York City seem kinda tame stuff.
Spanish and Portuguese survivors inbound aboard the S-61
A needle-in-a-haystack night ocean rescue in gale-driven seas off Scotland has resulted in Sikorsky Winged-S Rescue Awards for the crew of a Bristow-operated S-61 helicopter.
The Sikorsky S-61 managed to lower a winchman into a life raft in pitch-black conditions. Nine crewmen from a sunken German fishing boat were rescued. The mission was flown at the extremities of range -- within five minutes to bone-dry fuel tanks.
Awards went to the pilot, Capt. Clark Broad; copilot, Capt. Neill Stephenson; winch operator, Julian (Smiler) Grinney, and winchman Chris Murray. The airmen base their missions at Stornoway Airport on Scotland's Isle of Lewis.
Shortly after 11 p.m. on March 5, 2001, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Clyde, Scotland, received a 406MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert. A Canadian Aurora Maritime Patrol Aircraft was diverted from an exercise over the Atlantic to investigate. The EPIRB identified the German fishing vessel Hansa. A Royal Air Force Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft was scrambled to assist in the search.
Thirty minutes after midnight, the commander of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter based in Stornoway was called at home and informed that a 406MHz hit had been received approximately 200 nautical miles south west of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. The Rescue Helicopter ?Rescue MU? (RMU) was tasked to proceed to Benbecula (nearest fuel and also the most Westerly point of land to the incident) to refuel to maximum and await instructions.
On-scene winds were 35 to 45 knots (40-52mph), gale force 8. En-route to Benbecula, RMU was informed that a life raft had been sighted and its position was passed. The helicopter crew calculated the position to be 205 nautical miles from Benbecula. With the present and forecast wind they estimated they would have 20 minutes on-scene to carry out a rescue utilizing a maximum over-loaded fuel state incorporating the use of the internal long-range tank. This would allow a landing back at Benbecula with a 15-minute fuel reserve.
Upon arrival on-scene with no spare fuel to search and without radar or FLIR contact, the crew had to trust that the last position passed was accurate. It was pitch black and totally overcast; the aircraft is not equipped for night vision goggle cockpit operations. The aircraft used an automatic transition to gain a hover in the last position given.
When the winch operator opened the aircraft door, he noticed a faint light in the 4 o?clock position. The aircraft was established in an automatic hover and maneuvered by the winch operator using auxiliary manual control from the winching position. The sea state was so big and confused that the aircraft system could not cope and continually uncoupled the auto hover.
The aircraft commander elected to help the system by flying the height channel manually with the copilot calling heights. This meant that he had to keep the aircraft low enough to winch, but not so low as to be hit by the sea.
It would have been impossible to lower a hoist cable to the life raft (the preferred method) as the survivors inside the life raft and under its canopy would not have seen it with the sea spray and aircraft lights. The winchman would have to be lowered straight into the raft accurately and quickly. This is difficult enough in good conditions.
The Winch Operator did an amazing job and positioned his winchman on top of the raft first time. The aircraft was having great difficulty holding a hover over the moving raft. At times the winchman used his own brute strength to keep the raft from being blown/washed away from the helicopter.
Nine survivors were found in the raft, wet, cold and suffering from shock. Despite this, the winchman quickly and efficiently took charge of the mostly non-English speaking group. He was able to continually strop and dispatch them clear two at a time into the aircraft from the wildly unstable and crowded platform. During the operation the winch operator suffered a painful shoulder injury caused by the rapid lateral outward movement of the winch cable in the high sea state. But he continued despite his injury.
After 20 minutes of outstanding crew cooperation and perseverance, nine survivors and the winch man were recovered to the aircraft.
The rescue had used five minutes of reserve fuel and the crew concern was that the wind would not be any more adverse than forecast. The helicopter rapidly headed for the nearest point of inhabited land, the coastal airfield of Benbecula.
Shortly after departing the rescue scene, the crew ascertained from the captain of the Hansa (one of the 9 survivors) that 16 men had entered the water from the rapidly sinking boat, this left seven men still missing. These men all had some form of floatation including five in survival suits. The difficult decision to leave the search area with seven potential survivors nearby was made for the sake of the majority involved. The options to use a nearby container ship or attempt a landfall on the remote Island of St Kilda in the prevailing conditions was discussed by the crew and ruled out. The Maritime Patrol Aircraft and ships in the area continued to search.
The survivors were hypothermic and in various states of shock, but otherwise uninjured. Unfortunately the aircraft heater could not be used as it would consume valuable engine fuel and the en-route winds now posed a new concern. The crew determined that with only 10 minutes reserve fuel, they should conserve every pound. The helicopter coasted in and landed on the shore side runway threshold at Benbecula with a total of five minutes fuel remaining.
The survivors were passed to awaiting medical care and the aircraft re-fuelled in preparation to return to the scene if required.
Later that day, helicopter RMU was informed that another survivor had been sighted and was tasked to launch; the survivor was alive and had been in the sea for 12 hours. Shortly after takeoff, it was determined by the crew that at 212 nautical miles and with changed adverse wind, this survivor was just out of range. A fishing vessel recovered the survivor and an Irish Coastguard S-61 helicopter was tasked to proceed from Ireland to conduct a transfer.
The helicopter crew's efforts were recognized by a tribute in the European Parliament.
Impressive story.
Makes flying around New York City seem kinda tame stuff.