aquatic / helo trends in helicopter utilization for inland water … · 2015-05-07 · should the...

In this article we will continue tolook at aquatic helicopteroperations and how local public

safety agencies without a dedicatedhelicopter asset can interface withlocal public service aircraft toincrease safety and effectiveness ininland water rescues. In Part I weexplored the command and controlaspects as well as NCHART’s inter-agency SAR helicopter program. InPart II we will explore thetechniques, tactics and reasoningbehind common aquatic helicopterSAR operations. Many of thetechniques and tactics described inthis article are straight forward butare only safe when conducted withactive aircraft under supervision of aqualified instructor. As always thebest tactic in any given situation is aproduct of sound judgment whichcan only be developed throughproper training, practice andexperience.

Aerial Reconnaissance & SearchHelicopters are effective as aerialreconnaissance tools to help locatevictims during search/location phaseof a rescue. In Part I we discussedthe capabilities limitations regardingweather and flight rules of publicservice aircraft. Aerialreconnaissance is a low risk missionfor most aircraft given absence ofinclement weather during the dayand can speed up a waterbornesearch. In these types of missions it

is imperative that ground crews havecommunication capabilities with theaircraft. In rivers and canyons, radiosignals are often diminished due toline-of-sight obstructions. Someteams have started to carry portablerepeaters either on utility vehicles orapparatus which can improvecommunication.If the search involves a

complicated section of river or floodzone with interconnecting sectionsand dense vegetation, visualreferences become confusing and insome cases obsolete. Visualreferences which lack uniquelandmarks can cause confusion inrelaying positional informationbetween ground crews and aircraft.One particular tool which hasbecome quite effective in thisapplication is small portablewaterproof GPS receivers. Eachswim team or boat crew should haveat least one GPS with them. This isboth for effectiveness and safety.Should the victim be located or if therescue crew has an emergency andrequire evacuation, relayingpositional coordinates to the incidentcommander and aircraft willeliminate confusion and foster arapid response. Aerial reconnaissance combined

with pre-planning will determinewhether or not a safe landing zoneexists. In the absence of a properlanding zone, the aircrew may electto use one skid of the aircraft braced

Trends inHelicopterutilization forinland waterSAR incidents

Part 2 Rescue Swimmer Operations

By Sean JohnsonSean is a Fresno City Fire Dept Firefighter in California. He is a member of the Dive & USAR Teams

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The phenomenon of ground effectand auto-rotation is of particularinterest to rescue swimmers whomay be suspended below the aircraftin a hoist or short-haul extrication.The operating altitudes for both theseoperations occur in a rough altituderange of 25-100 feet. Thisoperational altitude is considered “noman’s land” in a single engineaircraft where if an engine failurewere to occur there are no physics totake advantage of and a catastrophiccrash could occur. Because of the crash hazards

associated with winching and short-hauls in an over-water environment itis crucial that pilots, crew membersand rescue swimmers participateand refresh their skills in water crashsurvival training a.k.a. “the dunker”.In California the U.S. Navy hastrained civilian rescue teammembers alongside militarymembers in water crash survival. Forareas which lack military resourcesportable home-made mock-ups ofhelicopter cockpits have been

fabricated and adapted to pool use.

Hoist OperationsHoists are a simple quick effectivetool for water SAR. The advantagesof winch rescues are that the aircraftcan go into rescue operationimmediately on scene, insert arescue swimmer and recover boththe rescue swimmer and victimdirectly into the cabin. This evolutioncan be repeated on site as manytimes as necessary without

against rocks or the bank. A toe-inhot landing may also be performedwhich braces the toes of the skidsagainst an object for stability. In toe-in and one-skid hot landings thedanger level is at its highest due tostability of the aircraft and proximityto rotor blades. If, during thereconnaissance of the incident, it isdetermined that a suitable landingzone or hot-landing is not possible itwill be necessary to insert rescuersand equipment from the helicopterwhile in hover. There are severaloptions available and each has itsadvantages and limitations. In anycase when hover insertions areundertaken it is important to notethat the risk to the rescuer, pilot andaircrew are elevated compared tonormal flight.

The Physics of Hover InsertionsOver-water hover insertions are arisky operation with regards to flightphysics. Tremendous power isrequired of the helicopter due to theeffects of ground effect. Ground

effect is a phenomenon which occurswhen the helicopter is approximately1 – 1 ½ rotor diameter distanceabove the ground. As airflow fromthe rotor blades strikes the ground,airflow restriction allows thehelicopter to use less power tomaintain lift. However as thehelicopter lifts beyond the rotordiameter ground effect is lost. Whenground effect is lost, airflow is nolonger restricted which the helicoptermust then overcome with morepower to maintain lift.Another important concept for

rescue crews to be aware of is auto-rotation. Auto-rotation is anemergency procedure which allowsthe helicopter to land safely in theevent of engine failure. Auto-rotationtakes advantage of flight physics byturning the rotor blades only throughupwards air draft; for this to occurthe helicopter must be at an altitudehigh enough to allow enoughupwards air-draft to spin the rotorblades.

Small single engine aircraft serve commonly in law enforcementobservation missions but can also be used to compliment the localrescue mission

Member of the North CarolinaHelicopter Aquatic Rescue Team.NCHART personnel are members oflocal fire departments who providerescue swimmers to National Guardhelicopters during rescue incidents

TECHNICALRESCUE ISSUE 59 65

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reconfiguration as required in ropework. One particular safety concernis conscious immersion victims whoare exhibiting sign of panic. Rescueswimmers should always approachthese victims with caution and onlyafter a careful assessment.Combative victims should bestabilized before contact is made andthese methods should be practicedand refreshed annually.

As discussed in the previousarticle, hoist rescues in static waterpresent fewer complications whencompared to winch rescues in swiftor moving water. Rescue teamsshould be mindful of the concept of

fleet angle. Fleet Angle is the angleof the cable as it is payed out inrelation to the hoist. Some hoistsmay have a fleet angle of less than30 degrees. This relates to thepractical application of hoist rescuesin moving or swift water. Hoistsretain maximum strength by resistingdirect vertical loads. Lateral or vectorforces can decrease maximumstrength of the hoist and cable.Therefore, the operational challengeis to match the rescue swimmer onthe hoist with the speed of the waterso that when the rescue swimmercontacts the victim, the angle of thecable is minimal. Improvements in hoist design

have improved the durability ofwinches when operated at angleslateral to the center of the aircraft.Goodrich’s Translating Drum CableManagement technology with itsseries of swivels and guide platesbuilt into the hoist decreases angularstress on the cable allows for wideroperational angles. This technology has played an

important part in maritime rescuewhere winds, sea-state and ship sizeprohibit the aircraft from a directoverhead hover. Rescue swimmersand equipment are deployed andrecovered in a manner which placesthe cable at a wide angle. When applied to a swift water

rescue, the aircraft must fly thecourse of the victim and timing isessential. If a rescue swimmer isdeployed and an obstacle such as atree or power pole presents itself,

then the aircraft must recover therescue swimmer and abort thecurrent rescue attempt. Pre-planningcommon locations will allow pilotsand crew to avoid these situations.

HelicastingHelicasting is a method to transportand deploy rescue swimmers whilethe aircraft is flying no faster than 10

knots and no higher than 10 feet.Helicasting is also a very rapid andeffective way to deploy rescue divers.In military or tactical helicastingmost standard operating proceduresprohibit helicasting in unchartedwaters or water with a depth lessthan 10 feet. Inland water rescues,especially in flooding often involveunknown water depths andsubmerged hazards. Preplanningand experience in your local bodiesof water can help mitigate this risk.When a victim is located and the

rescue swimmer is helicasted into abody of water it is critical that therescue swimmer keep eyes on thevictim at all times. There have beenincidents where visual contact is lostduring the cast and the victimbecomes submerged and is lost. Aneffective jump position is amodification of the “giant stride”entry taught to SCUBA diver which islegs spread apart and arms wide sothat the entry into water is sloweddown.If the victim is in current in swift

water, the crew chief or spotter orfirst responders and rescue swimmershould continuously assessdownstream hazards. The hazard inswift water is hitting rocks orobstructions during the jump. Everyattempt should be made to cast ingreen, deep water of at least 10 feet.If the victim is located and castingnear the victim is not possible a

marker device should be deployedupwind of the victim. This helpspositively mark the victim’s locationand also provides wind cues to thepilot. In dry-brush areas, common inCalifornia, care should be taken sothat a smoke flare would notcompound the problems by startinga wildfire. However smoke flares arevery helpful in immersion rescues

especially as a reference point topilot and crew.Depending on the capabilities of

the aircraft, small inflatable rescueboats and motors can also be castfrom the aircraft. Motors chosen forthis operation should have de-watering capability in case ofimmersion. Prior to casting, themotor should be attached to thetransom and backed up withwebbing to the structural d-rings ofthe boat. Any loose items should besecured. The Zodiac F-470 andJohnson Enforcer motors areroutinely and successfully cast at thestandard 10/10 range by militaryamphibious forces.

Short HaulsShort hauls are another effectivetool, with advantages anddisadvantages, for insertion ofpersonnel and equipment to thescene of a water rescue. Short-haulrefers to the mechanics oftransportation by a rope attached tothe belly of the aircraft and arehauled a short distance fromincident to safe location. Whencompared to rappelling, short-haulrequires less hover time and allowsfor rapid extraction of victims andequipment. Because short-haul onlyrequires rope rescue software andhardware the entire system islightweight. The majority of thecomponents in a short-haul system

U.S. Aviation Regulationsrequire that crewmembersand rescue swimmersinvolved in over-wateroperations are trained inwater crash survival. Astudy conducted by theU.S. Navy revealed that55% of water crashfatalities were drowningswith no related trauma,while 90% of all personnel

that survived a water crash were trained in water crash survival. Theobvious challenge is to locate the egress point while immersed anddisoriented. This training can be conducted at low-cost in local pools withfabricated prop and rescue divers. In the event of a water crash landing thefollowing procedures apply;All personnel should be wearing an INFLATABLE personal flotation device• Eye protection on/face shield down.• Ensure side doors are open and secure loose items if time permits.• Take a crash position, brace for impact and hold to maintain a referencepoint.• Once submerged disconnect helmet cord if connected and utilizeemergency escape breathing device (HEED) if available.• Release seat, gunner’s belt, or tether and egress to surface.• Activate inflatable PFD and conduct personnel

STATIC ELECTRICALSHOCK A fundamental safety concern inwinching operations is to bemindful of the effects of staticelectricity which could be buildingup on the metal cable and hookdue to the effects of rotor-wash. Apotential shock hazard exists.

A rescuer should never makecontact with the cable or hook untilit has touched the ground or objectwhich allows the electricity todissipate. Technology is beingrefined in hoist design which allowsfor dissipation of static buildupthrough modifications in theelectrical path of the steel cable tothe aircraft. Until such designmodifications become standard, allhoist cables should be assumed tohave a buildup of static electricityuntil grounded.

��

Helicasting operations can involve rescue swimmers, divers or inflatableboats with submersible motors



can be found in a standard USAR cache. Shorthaul gives smaller and lightweight helicopters,especially those without a winch, rescue andtransportation ability. See pics opposite.Short-haul rescues have some special

considerations. In order to carry an external“sling” load, an aircraft operator must havecompleted training specific to rotorcraft-loadcombinations and apply for a Part 133Certificate. In ordinary circumstances only dual-engine aircraft are allowed to conduct externalload operations but rescue aircraft fall under a“Public Use” exception which allows singleengine helicopters to conduct short-haulsprovided they are not over populated areas andessential flight crew members are the only oneson board the aircraft.Because short-haul involves transportation of

cargo (humans are considered cargo), the short-haul system is built with a quick-release device.In the event of an in-flight emergency theaircrew is authorized to release the cargo toprevent a crash. Unfortunately if you are theperson hanging on the end of the rope duringthis emergency you will be disconnected andfall. Because of this fact, aircrews will try toaccomplish a short-haul rescue with minimalobjective in distance and height to the safe areaso that if a jettison were to occur the falldistances hopefully would not be fatal. If ajettison free-fall were to occur one protectivemeasure the rescue swimmer could take issimilar to hard parachute landings wherepersonnel tuck and roll to absorb the energy ofthe fall. In the event of a jettison over water it is

Law enforcement heli-copters can be used totransport fire depart-ment resources such asrigid hull inflatableboats.

Short-haul rigging requires set up timeon the ground but is inexpensive, light-weight and allows for extraction of per-sonnel and victims

Belly hook / quickrelease configurationINSET: A typical quickrelease attachment

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TECHNICALRESCUE ISSUE 59 67



imperative that the rescue swimmerplan for this event and carry a knifeto contend with loose rigging inwater! Another disadvantage of short-

haul rescue is time and control. Inorder to set up for short-haul theaircraft must land away from theincident and construct rigging. Theropes are typically layed out in frontof the aircraft for pilot observationand the rescue swimmer with avictim extraction device is attachedto the end of these ropes. Thehelicopter then flies to the incident toextract the victim. Because theshort-haul system is constructed as afixed system underneath the aircraft,the pilot has no visual reference andmust rely on the crew chief ortactical flight officer. Once the rescueswimmer and victim are attached tothe short-haul they cannot bebrought into the aircraft and must beflown in space to the safe zone andas described early in this article, themajority of the short-haul rescue isperformed out-of-ground effect. Therisk management assessmentprovided in Part 1 will help groundcrews make informed decisionswhether deploying a short-haulrescue is too high of a risk for the

incident.If you are developing inter-agency

helicopter rescue capabilities thehardware required for short-haul isminimal. Standard rope rescueequipment is used in the majority ofthe system. Aircraft equipped withcargo hooks can be used inconjunction with a quick-releasemechanism as a back-up. Anchoringprocedures are slightly varied in eachagency however the typicalprocedure is to place webbing orslings are placed around the belly ofthe aircraft and interior floor whichact as the anchor. A quick disconnectis then connected between theanchor and the fixed rope. In theevent of an emergency the tetherattached to the quick release willdisconnect the entire load from theaircraft.

Rescue RappellingA trend that continues with someagencies is moving away from rappelinsertions, primarily due to thetraining commitments required tomaintain proficiency. Most agenciesthat perform helicopter rappellingusually commit to continuousproficiency and refresher trainingwith entire days dedicated on thecalendar in frequencies as high asevery two weeks. With the currentglobal economy and diminishingbudgets, administrators are oftenforced to make cut decisions. Highrisk, low-frequency sub-sets of skillswithin a discipline such as helicopterrappelling is a likely choice to be cut. In the range of skills for rescue

swimmers, rappelling still has itsplace and is a great tool especially inaircraft that do not have a hoist.When compared to hoisting,rappelling has a greater timesequence where the helicopter musthover on station, deploy ropes,descend the rescue swimmer,retrieve ropes and move to acommand observation position.However if crews practice thistechnique the time sequence can berefined and minimized. In aircraftthat do not have a winch this may bethe only option for insertion of arescue swimmer or let down of cargoand equipment when geography ishazardous or time is crucial. It is aquick way to get a rescuer to apatient and initiate patient carewhile extrication plans are underway.Another advantage of rappelling

insertions is that multi-disciplinaryrescue teams like Urban Search andRescue (USAR) likely have alreadyrefined their rappelling skills and

now are applying them in a newenvironment. Hard-points forattachment of rope are identified bythe aircrew and depend on theaircraft however they are commonlylocated on the interior floor orexterior above the door. High-pointanchor attachments areadvantageous for the rescueswimmer because it makes thetransition to rappel easier. Friction devices also vary but the

most common in the US are the SkyGenie, Brake-Bar Rack, and Rescue-8. The Sky Genie is the most popularhelicopter rappel device and allowsfor variance of friction; however theyare not commonly used inground/water SAR and aresomewhat costly. Sport climbingfriction devices such as the ATC areinsufficient and dangerous to use inthis environment. Adapting the skillset ground SAR teams already have,being proficient in the friction device,particularly lock-off procedures arecritical. If an emergency were tooccur during rappel, the rescueswimmer must be able to lock offand signal this to the aircrew soforward flight can occur. In certaincircumstances it might be moreadvantageous for the rescuer tomake a rapid decent to the ground,disconnect and immediately leavethe crash hazard area. [ED: ConsiderEuropean and Australian styleautolock descenders for heli-rappels]The mechanics of helicopter

rappelling are no different thanstandard rescue rappelling. Therescue swimmer must maintain asmooth controlled rappel andovercome the skids of the helicopterusing edge transition techniques.This requires the rescue swimmer tomaintain contact with the skids byextending the feet and controlling thedecent until the rescuer is inverted. Iftwo rescue swimmers are inserted byrappel than it is important tomaintain the same positionthroughout the rappel to avoidunexpected lateral loading which thepilot must then overcome. The main difference between

ground SAR rappelling andhelicopter rappelling is theoperational environment. The noiseand wind are tremendous and can beintimidating to first-timers. Standardverbal and radio commands betweenrescuer on rappel and commandpost are rendered non-operational inthe helicopter environment requiringproficiency and understanding inhand/body signals. The same issuesexist during short-haul operations

and an example of hand signalcommunications are listed here;

ConclusionRisk in aquatic helicopter rescue isrelative to the hazards of the incidentand training of crews, both groundand aircraft. Like all other waterrescue tactics, use of helicopters is atool available even in first responderpublic safety agencies without ahelicopter. Law enforcement,National Guard and military allutilize helicopters as part of theirmission. In fire departments, rescuesare a high-risk, low-frequencyoccurrence, but when they do occurthe chances of saving a life are great.A new model for rescue should beresource sharing and cooperationbetween agencies with specializedassets. Fire departments are theagencies that typically have atechnical rescue team while lawenforcement typically has ahelicopter. When you combine theassets of both and cross-train, youadd an extremely valuable asset to thecommunity at little to no cost.

A rappel station using rope res-cue equipment from local fireagencies and first responders.Note the external hard-pointlocated above the door

Above: Rappelling still has its placein SAR!Below: A Tactical Officer demon-strates The proper rappel/ inversionposition necessary to manage theoverhanging skid



aquatic / helo trends in helicopter utilization for inland water … · 2015-05-07 · should the...

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