alpine long line rescue gone fatally wrong
Yes and no. There are operators that use a combination of Static line and hoist - particularly inshore coastal rescue. The static line combined with helocasting is a much quicker form of rescue for someone drowning. Hence why they havent switched completely to hoist - they can effect their rescue faster - in time critical situations.
My experience of longline HEC has taught me that those programs are generally a result of clients not wanting to pay for the cost of hoist, crews and appropriate aircraft for task so find a myriad of reasons to justify flying people around on a longline.
More of a concern than just the hoist vs longline HEC argument is the stress in the patient being exposed for a much longer period of time on the hook (physical exposure/stress, not engine failure exposure considerations).
It's hard to argue the point that a hoist doesn't give you a lot more options operationally. Longline HEC is no different to flying around any other external load except the fact you have multiple attach points.
Just my 2c, like I mentioned it's just my opinion and remember opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
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Hoist much more versatile than longline
havick is right on. Goodrich external hoist on the AW-139 has about 280 feet or 85 meters of usable cable. Whats not to like? Speed control, rugged, 600 pound load. Good hoist operators can put that rescue hoist hook anywhere.
Havick and Airresqu2 
jimf671 - can you expand on your comment and please elaborate on who ICAR is?
Crab, Havick and Airresqu2 - exactly what I would say if I wasn't proficient at vertical reference operations.
Crab, Havick and Airresqu2 - exactly what I would say if I wasn't proficient at vertical reference operations.
Can you provide examples of operators or organizations doing night time HEC longline ops?
All I'm trying to say is that hoisting offers way more operational advantages. HEC has always been the cheap way of doing things.
Last edited by havick; 9th Jun 2017 at 16:29.
International Commission for Alpine Rescue.
Four commissions: Terrestrial, Avalanche, Air and Medical.
First business of annual Air Commission meetings is usually air accidents in SAR around the world during the previous year. Often there are also presentations relating to specific accidents or near misses (sometimes presented by the aircrew concerned or close colleagues). Other subject areas are research into failure, regulatory changes, and new equipment.
HEC accidents are a continuing concern.
ICAR International Commission for Alpine Rescue
ICAR Air Commission
Four commissions: Terrestrial, Avalanche, Air and Medical.
First business of annual Air Commission meetings is usually air accidents in SAR around the world during the previous year. Often there are also presentations relating to specific accidents or near misses (sometimes presented by the aircrew concerned or close colleagues). Other subject areas are research into failure, regulatory changes, and new equipment.
HEC accidents are a continuing concern.
ICAR International Commission for Alpine Rescue
ICAR Air Commission
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How's your vertical reference skills at night time down in a valley full of wires with a 200' longline?
Can you provide examples of operators or organizations doing night time HEC longline ops?
All I'm trying to say is that hoisting offers way more operational advantages. HEC has always been the cheap way of doing things.
Can you provide examples of operators or organizations doing night time HEC longline ops?
All I'm trying to say is that hoisting offers way more operational advantages. HEC has always been the cheap way of doing things.
Most of the fixed line HEC in the US is not rescue, put powerline construction. There are at least 50 aircraft doing fixed line HEC for powerline maintenance and construction every day in the USA. About 80% of those are MD 500s with the occasional, MD600, BH407, AS350, AS355, or EC135.
It is all done vertical reference, no spotter. No variable line length.
There are a lot of advantages to doing it this way, both in safety and efficiency the difficulty is that it requires an extremely proficient VR pilot.
Anyone who has achieved their private pilots licence knows you have to be one step ahead of the helicopter. If you are relying on spotter to relay directions to you that inst possible.
jimf671 - can you expand on your comment and please elaborate on who ICAR is?
If we are talking exclusively about rescue operations the hoist has a lot of advantages, listed above.
Most of the fixed line HEC in the US is not rescue, put powerline construction. There are at least 50 aircraft doing fixed line HEC for powerline maintenance and construction every day in the USA. About 80% of those are MD 500s with the occasional, MD600, BH407, AS350, AS355, or EC135.
It is all done vertical reference, no spotter. No variable line length.
There are a lot of advantages to doing it this way, both in safety and efficiency the difficulty is that it requires an extremely proficient VR pilot.
Anyone who has achieved their private pilots licence knows you have to be one step ahead of the helicopter. If you are relying on spotter to relay directions to you that inst possible.
Most of the fixed line HEC in the US is not rescue, put powerline construction. There are at least 50 aircraft doing fixed line HEC for powerline maintenance and construction every day in the USA. About 80% of those are MD 500s with the occasional, MD600, BH407, AS350, AS355, or EC135.
It is all done vertical reference, no spotter. No variable line length.
There are a lot of advantages to doing it this way, both in safety and efficiency the difficulty is that it requires an extremely proficient VR pilot.
Anyone who has achieved their private pilots licence knows you have to be one step ahead of the helicopter. If you are relying on spotter to relay directions to you that inst possible.
HEC longline makes perfect sense and works perfectly well for powerline ops.
Last edited by havick; 10th Jun 2017 at 20:31.
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The ICAR Air Rescue committee is focused on improving the safety of all air rescue operations including HEC and Hoist operations. Since inception the Air Rescue Commission has invested significant effort to review air rescue incidents that involve both HEC and Hoist.
Below is a quote from the ICAR Air Rescue Committee that describes its charter.
The ICAR Air Rescue Commission consists of experts, pilots, HEMS crew members and hoist operators from all ICAR member organizations. The ICAR Air Rescue Commission tasks, goals and targets are the same as for ICAR: sharing our experience, learning from others and working on prevention.
The commission is run by a president assisted by a vice-president. The Commission President is a member of the ICAR Executive Board. Usually the Air Rescue Commission meets once a year during the annual ICAR Convention.
The ICAR Air Rescue Commission has to deal with different systems, different rules, different operations and therefore the commission is used to work on best practices more than hard rules. The Commission takes its benefits from the exchange of the members and other international entities.
The knowledge and experience amongst the members of the ICAR Air Rescue Commission is huge and the commission provides expertise all over the world. The database of the commission is for sure one of the largest in the world concerning Mountain Air Rescue. The ICAR Air Rescue Commission publishes recommendations available to all via the ICAR website.
ICAR ? International Commission for Alpine Rescue
Below is a quote from the ICAR Air Rescue Committee that describes its charter.
The ICAR Air Rescue Commission consists of experts, pilots, HEMS crew members and hoist operators from all ICAR member organizations. The ICAR Air Rescue Commission tasks, goals and targets are the same as for ICAR: sharing our experience, learning from others and working on prevention.
The commission is run by a president assisted by a vice-president. The Commission President is a member of the ICAR Executive Board. Usually the Air Rescue Commission meets once a year during the annual ICAR Convention.
The ICAR Air Rescue Commission has to deal with different systems, different rules, different operations and therefore the commission is used to work on best practices more than hard rules. The Commission takes its benefits from the exchange of the members and other international entities.
The knowledge and experience amongst the members of the ICAR Air Rescue Commission is huge and the commission provides expertise all over the world. The database of the commission is for sure one of the largest in the world concerning Mountain Air Rescue. The ICAR Air Rescue Commission publishes recommendations available to all via the ICAR website.
ICAR ? International Commission for Alpine Rescue
