Video of helicopter rescue from stranded freighter
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Video of helicopter rescue from stranded freighter
Hi folks,
just wondering why they used the winch.
Was there the risk of capsizing or explosion?
Otherwise light on the skids/wheels on deck would have speeded up the rescue of the shipcrew.
Ship seemed to be big enough to find an unobstructed place.
just wondering why they used the winch.
Was there the risk of capsizing or explosion?
Otherwise light on the skids/wheels on deck would have speeded up the rescue of the shipcrew.
Ship seemed to be big enough to find an unobstructed place.
I know, right? What were they "rescued" from...starvation? Couldn't the helicopters have just dropped some food? Seemed like the ship was pretty stable. What was the big hurry to get the crew off?
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My immediate thoughts also were: Why not land on deck?
It did look stable enough, although there may have been good reason not to, as the deck wasn't visible on the video.
I once went to a hillside rescue in a Blackhawk, a back injury. The surface was big rocks and long grass. The young winchman was immediately lowered to the ground, taking a stretcher and he went off to prepare the casualty. Meanwhile, we decided we could actually safely land, by manoeuvring slightly off to the rear, which we did and sat waiting, rotors running. The casualty was brought alongside the door. The rear crew were so pre-occupied that they began giving directions to lift to the hover to prepare for winching the casualty on board!
Er, chaps... said I... why do you need to winch him on board?
Answer: Oh ....er...OH! Casualty now on board!
It did look stable enough, although there may have been good reason not to, as the deck wasn't visible on the video.
I once went to a hillside rescue in a Blackhawk, a back injury. The surface was big rocks and long grass. The young winchman was immediately lowered to the ground, taking a stretcher and he went off to prepare the casualty. Meanwhile, we decided we could actually safely land, by manoeuvring slightly off to the rear, which we did and sat waiting, rotors running. The casualty was brought alongside the door. The rear crew were so pre-occupied that they began giving directions to lift to the hover to prepare for winching the casualty on board!
Er, chaps... said I... why do you need to winch him on board?
Answer: Oh ....er...OH! Casualty now on board!
Ah, yes. Probably thought, "IT'S GONNA BLOW!" I've seen it on t.v. and in the movies all the time. Vehicle has some little crash, and about two seconds after the people get out, suddenly it blows up (engine compartment, natch', 'cuz that's the most explosive part of any vehicle) like it's got pounds and pounds of C4 in there. They probably thought the same thing was gonna happen with that big ship...that was sitting fairly stabley and comfortably on the beach. You just never know when they're "gonna blow!"
And the guys onboard were probably worried that even if the ship didn't "blow" it was gonna roll right over! Be like that S.S. Poseidon or something from that movie. Then the superstructure would only be, what, 100 feet above the water (albeit sideways) instead of 200 feet or whatever. Making coffee would be a bitch! And of course, stuff would keep falling out of the oven. Or in, depending... "Rack time" would be...um, difficult, but they could always just put mattresses on the walls (now floors).
Not to take anything away from the helo crews. Hell of a job! And they probably needed the practice doing it "for real" anyway.
But if I were on that ship, and I had the choice of being strung on a long line under a 412 on a wintry day...or staying in my nice warm bed until Spring (or at least until the storm passed), I don't think I'd chance the external helicopter ride. Too scary! I would at least request an S-61 or '92.
And the guys onboard were probably worried that even if the ship didn't "blow" it was gonna roll right over! Be like that S.S. Poseidon or something from that movie. Then the superstructure would only be, what, 100 feet above the water (albeit sideways) instead of 200 feet or whatever. Making coffee would be a bitch! And of course, stuff would keep falling out of the oven. Or in, depending... "Rack time" would be...um, difficult, but they could always just put mattresses on the walls (now floors).
Not to take anything away from the helo crews. Hell of a job! And they probably needed the practice doing it "for real" anyway.
But if I were on that ship, and I had the choice of being strung on a long line under a 412 on a wintry day...or staying in my nice warm bed until Spring (or at least until the storm passed), I don't think I'd chance the external helicopter ride. Too scary! I would at least request an S-61 or '92.
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FH - that was funny....mattresses on the walls (now floors).
However, unless you were the captain of that there boat, your options would be limited....live or possibly die, keep your job or lose it! I am quite sure that the decision to get the crew off a multi-million dollar seashell, beached in a storm, was made by someone really smart.
However, unless you were the captain of that there boat, your options would be limited....live or possibly die, keep your job or lose it! I am quite sure that the decision to get the crew off a multi-million dollar seashell, beached in a storm, was made by someone really smart.
Those coal carriers (there were 71 of them when I last counted) sit off the coast of Newcastle for months at a time, waiting for the antiquated, overburdened coal loader to give them their coal and they can scoot off to China.
The ship's crew maybe saw this as a way to get ashore and into the duty free shop.
The ship's crew maybe saw this as a way to get ashore and into the duty free shop.
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On the cover over one of the mid-deck cargo holds, in big white letters, is a legend that reads
WINCH ONLY.
Mybe that has something to do with it?
WINCH ONLY.
Mybe that has something to do with it?
Last edited by kookabat; 10th Jun 2007 at 01:44. Reason: I still can't type
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Pash Bulker Rescue
Is it just me, or is second guessing the crews actions a little demeaning to them. Have a look at some of the photos on the thread titled "Pasha Bulker Rescue" and tell me you would have put down on that deck in those conditions with that amount of water coming over the rails. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be onboard when you did.
To the Newcastle boys, well done.
To the Newcastle boys, well done.
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Some of you people are so bloody negative
It is nice that you know the answer to the situation you were not in
There could have been any reason they didnt land on the deck but do they really need to justify it.
I aggree with Juggler they got the crew of safely and that is what counts who cares how they did it.
It is nice that you know the answer to the situation you were not in
There could have been any reason they didnt land on the deck but do they really need to justify it.
I aggree with Juggler they got the crew of safely and that is what counts who cares how they did it.
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Winch V Land on
If you go down the page a couple of threads and open the photos from the ABC, you will see why they did not land on the ship. There were waves breaking, giving spray above the height of the accommodation! Don't need to be sitting on the deck in that.
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A question has been asked by a couple of other pilots. Since when has asking a question meant criticism, or the answer to the same question?
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I think yer right! 
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Hello there,
I am a SAR Pilot and I understand that some of you look at this video and ask, why not land?
Well, there are several reasons why you shouldn't land.
1. What cargo was the ship carrying?
2. Was there a place designated for landing on deck? If not, how do you know you can safely land? The 412 is not a small bird, and you don't know the weight limitation on the deck.
3. "Winch Only" is self explanatory, I think
4. From the heading of the helicopter in the winching position, I'd say that if you tried to land on deck, you'd get turbulence caused by the superstructure. We've had a close call in our squadron from a situation just like this one.
Why get the crew out? Well, the ship "looks" stable, but is it really? What was the weather forecast? Were the conditions getting progressively worse?
They did get them out safely, didn't they? So why question their decisions? It's very easy to criticize sitting in your sofa...
I am a SAR Pilot and I understand that some of you look at this video and ask, why not land?
Well, there are several reasons why you shouldn't land.
1. What cargo was the ship carrying?
2. Was there a place designated for landing on deck? If not, how do you know you can safely land? The 412 is not a small bird, and you don't know the weight limitation on the deck.
3. "Winch Only" is self explanatory, I think
4. From the heading of the helicopter in the winching position, I'd say that if you tried to land on deck, you'd get turbulence caused by the superstructure. We've had a close call in our squadron from a situation just like this one.
Why get the crew out? Well, the ship "looks" stable, but is it really? What was the weather forecast? Were the conditions getting progressively worse?
They did get them out safely, didn't they? So why question their decisions? It's very easy to criticize sitting in your sofa...