Search and Rescue

 

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. 

Spotting the airplane in a clearing in the distance

As we flew closer we could see two people out waving a red flag.  Each MAF office keeps a “drop kit” on the shelf ready to go, with some emergency supplies for just this type of situation.  We decided to line up and do a drop, another thing we train to do in standardization. As we flew over for the drop, we could identify another person on the ground.  On a second pass to drop some water bottles, we confirmed four people were walking around.

Passengers signalling to get our attention

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.

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.