SAR


SEARCH & RESCUE Off airport landings encompass a number of potential situations that require additional skills to ensure a positive outcome. Once the aircraft and passengers have made it safely to the ground, your emergency is not yet over. Whether it is a jungle, desert water or arctic landing, each of these areas each require specific knowledge and skills.


During a potential SAR event, the authorities go through several phases during the emergency. The three phases of the search and rescue procedure:


UNCERTAINTY PHASE or doubt. This starts from 30 minutes after an aircraft has failed to report at a schedule point or time. ALERT PHASE or apprehension. This starts from one hour after a point or position report is not received.


DISTRESS PHASE or certainty. This starts from the time when the aircraft is believed to be in imminent danger. A search will commence after the ETA has passed or when a MAYDAY call has been received.


By international agreement, Rescue Co-ordination Centers (RCCs) link up with Air Traffic Control Centers to provide worldwide coverage of land, air and sea.


In order to monitor the progress of all commercial flights, messages are sent every time an aircraft departs or arrives at an airport.


For arrivals these give actual time of arrival (ATA) and for departing flights, the actual time of departure (ATD) and the estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the intended destination are shown.


In addition, before the departure of any flight, a flight plan must be filed.


This will list the intended route of the flight, together with the elapsed flying time between set points on the planned route. When the aircraft departs, all the points listed en-route will be able to estimate at what time to expect the aircraft to report.


This ensures that Air Traffic Control will be aware within minutes when an aircraft has failed to report at a set point or destination.


Following the failure of a particular flight to report at any one of its en-route points, a procedure will be followed to try and trace the whereabouts of the aircraft. This will result in the search and rescue services being dispatched.


When alerted, the RCC has at its disposal a wide range of military and civilian aircraft as well as other professional


and voluntary rescue services. Rescue will then be carried out by a helicopter, amphibian aircraft, mountain rescue, boat, ship or whatever method is appropriate. This will depend on the location and survival circumstances.


Specialized SAR aircraft equipped to carry and drop survival aids, including multi seat inflatable life rafts, may be called upon. Contents of survival packs are indicated on outside of container and may be color coded.


Survival, Search and Rescue 2


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