September Newsletter
Front
Page • Budget • High
Marks for HH-65C • HH-65C
Rescue • Waesche
Keel Laid • MPA
First Flight
A "Stunning" Mountain Rescue: Air Crew Takes HH-65C to New Heights
By Lt. Dan Leary and PAC Sarah Foster-Snell
An HH-65C flight crew assigned to Coast Guard Air
Station Port
Angeles, Wash., hoists an injured hiker to safety from a mountain
peak at an altitude of 6,300 feet--and a density altitude approaching
9,000 feet--in July. The rescue would have been impossible with the
older, underpowered Bravo model.
(Photograph courtesy of Brian “Red” Anderson)
The initial call
The HH-65B helicopter’s UHF radio relayed a message from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., Group Duty Officer (GDO) Ronald “Ed” Kaetzel. He notified the pilot, Lt. Dan Leary, of a request by Mason County dispatch for a helicopter to assist in a medevac.
While Leary returned to the air station, the GDO continued to provide him more information over the radio: a 54-year-old climber fell from a 6,500-foot snow-covered summit near Hood Canal, about 31 miles southwest of Seattle.
It is common knowledge in the Pacific Northwest that being stranded within the vast acreage of the Olympic National Park can be very dangerous. “Someone is in deep trouble,” Leary thought to himself. “Given the terrain in question it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to recover the victim without a helicopter,” said Kaetzel, who has 20 years of flight experience as a Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter pilot.
A dangerous mishap on a steep slope
Brian “Red” Anderson was with a group of climbers in the park’s 6,866-foot The Brothers Mountain when one of the climbers suddenly took a bad fall and landed on a steep rocky mound.
“His leg was cut open and considering the terrain and where we were, there was no way we could take him down without endangering him or other members of the group,” he explained. Anderson called 911 on his cell phone and reached Mason County dispatchers who, in turn, contacted the Coast Guard.
Putting a new aircraft through its paces
Rescuers had just 30 minutes to launch after initial notification. While the assigned crew anxiously awaited Leary’s return, co-pilot Lt. Steve Mahany computed a take-off and destination data card (TODD) for a 6,000-foot hoist. “A TODD card takes the variables of any given mission such as elevation, temperature, and winds to determine the power available [for the helicopter],” explained Kaetzel.
HH-65 Re-engining
Coast Guard air stations nationwide use the recently upgraded HH-65C or “Charlie” model Dolphin short range rescue helicopters along with other aircraft platforms to accomplish search and rescue, homeland security, and various law enforcement missions.
Air Station Port Angeles’ took delivery of their “almost-new birds” June 26.
Improvements being made as part of the $24 billion, 25-year Deepwater acquisition program include:
• Twin Turbomeca Arriel 2C2-CG turboshaft engines
to provide 40 percent more power and improved safety margin crucial to
everyday operations;
• Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) technology resulting in
dramatically increased engine performance and reliability. Even in the unlikely
event of an engine failure or major malfunction, upgrades enable the HH-65C to
continue flight under most circumstances;
• Increased fuel capacity and payload. The HH-65C can take on 1,930 pounds
of fuel, hoist six people and stay on scene for almost two hours and 30 minutes.
In contrast, the Bravo model maxes out at 1,600 pounds of fuel, three passengers
and can only endure up to an hour and 15 minutes on-scene time.
Although power computations are important for any hoist, these calculations were particularly important. The crew had only weeks before completed conversion training to familiarize themselves with the recently delivered HH-65C or “Charlie” model helicopters—one of which would be used for the rescue. These aircraft came equipped with new and more powerful engines. “The Charlies had just been operational for about a week here in Port Angeles,” said Kaetzel.
Mahany’s computation predicted the new HH-65C would be able to hover at 6,000 feet at 8,800 pounds gross weight at and an anticipated temperature of 68 degrees—normal weather that time of the year.
During two years of being stationed in Port Angeles, Leary had not responded to a mountain rescue. In Washington State, an inland mountain rescue is typically the realm of the Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Navy and Air Force.
This was uncharted territory for the pilots and crew, yet they had confidence in the re-engined helicopter’s ability to perform the difficult mission. “I was aware that 6,500 feet would have been impossible with the previous model H-65s but knew it should be within the capability of the Charlie,” said Kaetzel.
As part of standard procedure, the GDO also asked Cmdr. Jeffrey Salvon-Harman, the flight surgeon, to evaluate the extent of the climber’s reported injuries. When Leary reached the operations center, Kaetzel already had the flight surgeon’s recommendation to airlift the injured climber, who had fallen 200 feet and suffered possible rib and back injuries. Shortly after, Group/Air Station Port Angeles Group Commander Capt. Mark D’Andrea and Operations Officer Cmdr. Eric Vogelbacher approved the medevac.
Looking at the approximate latitude and longitude where the rescue would take place, the pilots surmised that the injured man was on the south side of the double summits of The Brothers, an area popular with hikers and climbers.
Thin mountain air challenges the re-engined aircraft
Flying the HH-65C with tail number 6514, the pilots and crew arrived on scene within 20 minutes to clear skies and calm winds. The temperature was at the predicted 68 degrees, but two days of very sunny weather had heated up the rocky terrain, warming the air right next to the slope to 86 degrees. This was bad news for the pilots, because it meant that when the helicopter came close to the mountain, it entered into the unknown warm boundary layer of air, creating an effective altitude of over 9,500 feet (density altitude)—pushing 6514 to the very limits of its capability.
High altitude creates a challenging situation because thin air reduces the lift created by the rotor head, the power of the engines and the responsiveness of the helicopter. The pilot is required to apply remarkably smooth inputs to the flight controls since any abrupt movement would disturb the aircraft’s lift and send the barely hovering helicopter into a potential deadly descent.
Below, Anderson saw the aircraft and heard its familiar mechanical whine. But he thought they didn’t see him, so he used a signal mirror to get their attention.
“The helicopter was about 1,500 feet below us and there were other hikers waving at it just to say hello,” he said. “I was afraid the crew would be distracted, so I used a signal mirror to get their attention while I called the Coast Guard again on my cell phone.”
Sector Seattle radioed the crew and instructed them to look for a signal. The helicopter made its approach when the crew spotted the injured climber on the southern slope in a ravine at approximately 6,300 feet.
Because of the steep, nearly vertical slope, jutting rocks, high elevation and shifting winds, Anderson had his doubts about the rescue. “I was beginning to think that the helicopter wasn’t going to be able to go close enough to do a lift,” he assumed.
At 8,900 pounds gross weight, the HH-65C attempted to hover. When a helicopter hovers, it works the engine harder. In such high mountain temperatures where the air is thin, 6514 reached its limit and began to settle. With the engines fully revved up, it whined more and more loudly.
Realizing this, the pilots used the aircraft’s left pedal for less power as they slowly descended to “lighten” the aircraft to reduce the burden on its hard-working engines. After dumping approximately 100 pounds of precious JP-5 jet fuel, they were back in no time at all to attempt to finish what they had started.
Because the winds were blowing from the east at about seven knots, Leary decided to have the co-pilot fly the approach to a hover from west to east at 6,500 feet, keeping the helicopter in any available wind. The aircraft crossed the western ridgeline and again attempted to hover, but even with maximum power applied it still suffered a 300-foot-per-minute descent. “I didn’t know if we were going to complete the mission,” confessed an apprehensive Leary, whose confidence and adrenaline were beginning to wane.
Suddenly, light winds at altitude died down and appeared calm. At this point, the crew changed plans and for the third time approached from east to west to aid the potential hoist. Leary took over the approach and again tried to hover. But the aircraft again developed a 200 to 300-foot-per-minute descent toward terrain. As each repeated approach lowered the fuel level to a perilous 900 pounds—about 1.4 hours’ flying time—it also lightered the craft to a gross weight of 8,200 pounds.
The final approach
On a final approach from the east, a tense Leary used all his powers of concentration and a quick prayer to hover the craft at a power setting of 9.9 (just under the allowed 10.0 maximum), with a very slow rate of closure to avoid a repeat of the previous descent. Equally tense, Mahany glued his eyes to the engine console as he called out updates of power settings.
The crew decided to lower rescue swimmer Petty Officer First Class Doug Lathrop to the ground to evaluate the safest and most efficient way to hoist the injured man.
In the case of an engine malfunction over water, standard policy is to shear the hoist cable to allow the swimmer to drop safely, away from descending aircraft. In the mountains, this contingency plan wasn’t an option—cutting the swimmer loose before he was on the ground would have been deadly. There was no room for error or even a split second of hesitation.
“I was really concerned for Doug Lathrop when I have him hanging outside the helicopter at 6,350 feet where, due to the high altitude and temperature, we can barely hover,” said Leary. “As the pilot in command, we make an unspoken promise to every crewmember’s family that we will bring back their loved one—alive.”
With the helicopter laboring to stay suspended in the thin air, Leary gave flight mechanic Petty Officer Second Class Dale Melton the order to lower the rescue swimmer.
Slippery, gravelly and steep
The hoist camera video showed the victim lying on a rocky mound below the shadow of the helicopter. Like a descending spider, the rescue swimmer rotated slightly, but the flight mechanic kept a watchful eye and a steady grip on the cable.
Melton’s precise conning commands placed Lathrop on the ground approximately 50 feet below the victim. “The climb was difficult due to the fact I was wearing a dry suit which is designed for water use, and that the near vertical climb on hands and knees was on a gravel surface that had large rocks on top making the ascent very slippery,” explained Lathrop. “I would slide backward for every couple of feet I gained.”
Meanwhile, in the deafening pitch of the rotors and engines above the ground, co-pilot Mahany continued to call out torque and N1 engine indications as the aircraft, at one point or another, reached operational limits in the red zone.
“Once I reached the patient, I realized that he hadn’t sustained any neck or back fractures, and that he hadn’t suffered any loss of consciousness,” said Lathrop, but time was short and he knew he had to work fast. The swimmer took just seconds to strap the survivor, prep him for the hoist and signal a “thumbs up” to Melton, who expertly conned 6514 into position and directed the hoist to take both the rescue swimmer and the injured climber off the cliff.
“Stunning”
For the first few seconds, the hoist camera showed almost no cable swing, but that soon changed when the men were halfway up toward the helicopter.
“Stand back for clearance…easy back, sir, you definitely need to move back down and left,” Melton barked to the pilots as both men started to swing a wide circle clockwise. He gripped the cable harder to keep them from smashing into the rocky slope. “They’re close to the rock!”
Using all his strength to stabilize the cable while operating the hoist, the flight mechanic decreased the dangerous swing and still called out status. “They’re still…they’re hanging … everything is good…hold position, altitude…they’re swinging, but still coming up…still clear, OK…maintain position, altitude.”
Watching the console, Mahany called out that torque and N1 were again at limits, again in the red zone. “Get them in the cabin as quickly as possible, okay?” Leary told Melton.
The men scrambled in the moving cabin. Melton pulled the frightened victim in while the rescue swimmer clung outside. “His eyes got real big when the hoist lurched while being pulled up,” said Lathrop of the victim. “I assured him with a brief ‘OK’ gesture that he wasn’t going to slip out of the quick strop.”
The engine’s high-pitched whine and the chop of rotor blades were deafening at this point. With Mahany visually clearing the aircraft from terrain, the pilot operated the left pedal turn and slightly reduced collective to keep 6514 within operating limits. During the helicopter’s 500-foot-per-minute rate of descent at 60 knots, Melton quickly secured the cabin. Once the victim was safe in the cabin, a look of relief washed over his face.
Below, Anderson was surprised how quick the hoist went. “It took all of two minutes,” he exclaimed. “It took us all day to climb up the slope, but I was amazed how effective and efficient those guys were. It was stunning.”
Feeling “like a brand-new pilot”
Mentally exhausted from close encounters with tragedy, Leary transferred the controls to Mahany. “I felt like a brand-new pilot again,” the senior instructor pilot at Port Angeles admitted. Tired out after facing his most gripping moment in flying, Leary imagined nothing could be more rewarding than the mission’s successful outcome.
Setting the record
This rescue may have set the record for the highest altitude hoist performed in the HH-65. “This truly underscores the extent of how rescuers put themselves in harm’s way on any given day,” said Anderson. “Under very difficult and death-defying circumstances, their actions were nothing short of heroic.”
“Coming from a prior H-65 aviation background, I can recall many times when I wished I had the power the Charlie models have,” said Kaetzel. “This case was a real world test of the capabilities of the new aircraft; in my opinion, it passed with flying colors.”
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