TR Chopper Helps HST in Rescue of Downed Pilots
Navy NewStand
Story Number: NNS030410-02
Release Date: 4/10/2003 11:05:00 AM
By JOSN Camy L. Thompson, USS Theodore Roosevelt Public Affairs
ABOARD USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, At Sea (NNS) -- A search and rescue team (SAR) from Helicopter Squadron (HS) 3, deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), rescued one civilian pilot and assisted a USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) SAR team in the rescue of a second pilot April 7.
The downed SA.30 Puma helicopter was operating from USNS Spica (USNS T-AFS 9) during a replenishment-at-sea with Truman in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Such civilian helicopters provide underway logistics support under contract to the Navy.
HS-3's rescue team was flying as plane guard when they got the call that a helicopter had gone down.
"We had been (airborne) for a couple of hours when we got called up," said rescue pilot Lt. Jack McKechnie of Davidsonville, Md. "We just got there as fast as we could."
HS-3 was the first to arrive on the scene and immediately looked for survivors, a challenge in the dark.
"The moon had just set, and there was a lot of fuel and debris in the water," said McKechnie. HS-3 went into this rescue with the limited information that a helicopter was down.
"We didn't even know if there were survivors," said Lt. Dustin Smiley, aircraft commander, of Jacksonville, Fla.
The downed crewman's survival equipment included a strobe light, allowing TR's SAR team to find them in the dark sea.
"We saw strobe lights in the water," said Mckechnie. "We slowed down, hovered over the lights and opened the cabin door to get a better look. That's when we saw the two survivors."
Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operator 3rd Class Jason Boutwell, of Lakeland, Fla., was SAR swimmer on this rescue. While the helicopter hovered, Boutwell was lowered into the water to assess the condition of both survivors.
"When I got down to them, I asked how they were doing, to make sure they were both conscious," said Boutwell. "I grabbed the survivor who didn't have on a helmet or a strobe light, since he would be harder to find if he started to drift. Then I prepared him to be hoisted using rescue straps, and he was hoisted up."
HS-7, deployed aboard Truman, pulled the second pilot from the water.
One of the things making this rescue difficult for HS-3 was working with unfamiliar gear.
"Both pilots were in civilian uniforms," said Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Operator 1st Class Greg Baker, crew chief, of Middleburg, Fla. "If they had on military gear, they would have a lifting device on their uniform."
According to McKechnie, who is also the HS-3 SAR training officer, the Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operators have rigorous inspections and annual jump qualifications to meet. Both pilots and aviation anti-submarine warfare operators have annual SAR training, too.
"We practice a lot during flights, too," said McKechnie.
The training paid off - two lives were saved as a result of that training.
"Every member of HS-3 played a vital part in this rescue," said Baker. "We are just glad we got to help."
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