We had an
interesting week here in Mozambique. Monday morning, as we were getting ready
for our language lesson, we got a call from the hanger. A Non-MAF Cessna 206, that had left Nampula
the day before had not reached its destination in South Africa, and an
Emergency Locator Transmission (ELT) signal had been picked up by the Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA). Because Search and Rescue can be dangerous for a
single pilot (if he gets distracted by searching rather than flying the plane),
and there were no other pilots available, I was called in to serve as the
copilot for the mission. Our program
manager stayed at our base to coordinate the operation with rescue personnel in
both Mozambique and South Africa.
The plane
that was missing occasionally stops through here in Nampula, so we were
familiar with the plane and the owner.
With the owner having contacts with our team here, he requested that we
conduct a search for the plane. MAF
airplanes are equipped with special antennas that we can use to track ELT
signals, similar to how radio collars are tracked on wild animals that are being
studied. The CAA had provided us with a
rough latitude and longitude location of where the signal was being
transmitted, so we had a rough idea of where to begin the search. The location
was very remote, located about 140 miles west of Vilankulos, Mozambique, in the
southern part of Moz.
Since the
site was so far to the south, we were certain that we could not make it back to
Nampula before dark, so we packed overnight bags. Jill packed a bag as well, just in case there
was enough room on the plane so she could be an extra set of eyes in the
search. Unfortunately, with the weight
of the pilot, co-pilot, owner of the plane, fuel, and necessary equipment,
there was not enough weight to accommodate a fourth person, so Jill missed her
third opportunity for a flight!
Before we
left, we had no idea of the condition of the plane or if the pilot and
passengers were okay. We got off the
ground shortly after 9:00am and expected about a 3.5 hour flight before nearing
the search area. MAF has policies and procedures for Search and Rescue, so
along the way I reviewed and briefed the others on those. I also reviewed how to use the radio tracking
equipment, which is one of the things we did on the ground during standardization
training. We decided on a search plan using the GPS to help monitor our search
area, and I entered a search pattern into the GPS. As we approached the area,
we listened for the ELT signal on our communication radios. When we started
receiving it, we activated the tracking equipment. As we got closer, the tracking equipment
indicated we needed to fly left to line up with the signal. We descended to about 3000 ft above the
ground to receive the best signal to try and pinpoint where it was transmitting
from. After a couple of minutes we spotted
the clear form of an airplane in a clearing off to the right in front of
us.
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| Spotting the airplane in a clearing in the distance |
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| Passengers signalling to get our attention |
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| Approaching the plane to drop the survival kit and water |
Our primary objective was to determine
accurate GPS coordinates so that a rescue helicopter could travel to the site,
render aid, and get the stranded guys out.
Having done that, we continued on to Vilankulos for fuel.
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| A quick photo while we flew by to make the drop revealed a passenger waving at us |
When we
arrived at Vilankulos, we received word that South African Airlines had already
dispatched a helicopter with medics and an aircraft inspector. Later we learned
that our mission was critical because the helicopter did not have enough fuel
to do any searching at all, and repeatedly called our base office to learn if
we had obtained an accurate position of the downed airplane. After the people were rescued, we heard that
the airplane had lost electrical power. They had fuel in tanks on the tips of the wings that needed be
transferred to the main tanks in order to be used. However, without electrical
power, the pumps could not be operated to transfer the fuel. When the pilot
realized he could not make his destination, he opted to make an emergency
landing while he still had power to provide better opportunity of a controlled
landing. The remarkable thing was that he did this in the dark. I think you can tell from the photo, pointing
out that everywhere outside the clearings is covered with about 20 ft tall
trees, the Lord was protecting them!
This was a
good learning experience for me on several levels, and made Jill and I both
appreciate some of the policies and practices that MAF has in place to prevent
this type of mishap.
- MAF requires us to be on the ground before sunset with recommended 45 minute margin
- MAF requires us to have a minimum of 1 hour fuel reserve when reaching our destination
- MAF requires us to carry first aid kits with basic survival gear
- MAF requires us to make frequent position reports, so there is minimal time that an aircraft would actually be “missing”.
- MAF planes are equipped to locate ELT signals. When our office was in contact with CAA, they were very grateful for our assistance since they did not have this type of equipment available in Mozambique.
- MAF’s maintenance standards are incredibly high, helping us to recognize potential problems with the airplane before we ever leave the ground. This significantly lowers the probability of mechanical failures in the air.
