NSW Sea Kayak Club Kayaking is life, the rest mere detail

SAR Exercise Results - Currarong 26 Mar 12

Exercise

A SAR Exercise was conducted in the Crookhaven Bight area on the morning of 26 Mar 12 involving the Ambulance Service of NSW Rescue Helicopter based at Illawarra Regional Airport (Callsign Rescue 26) and a group of Kayakers from the NSW Sea Kayak Club.

The exercise simulated a distress beacon being detected in the Currarong area, followed by airborne beacon homing and visual search. The kayakers used a 121.4 MHz training beacon and a number of pyrotechnics supplied by the ASNSW from AMSA Tier 2 SAR Unit stocks.

The aim of the exercise was to determine the effectiveness of different types of location aids and practice the use of electronic and visual search techniques.

Tracking and Detection Equipment

Rescue 26 (AW139 Helicopter) had 4 crewmembers on board consisting of a pilot, an aircrewman and two paramedics. Three crewmembers were using Night Vision Goggles (NVG’s) and one crewmember was using the naked eye. The aircraft homing system is a Chelton Homer with VHF/UHF/Digital capability and DSC enabled.

The helicopter tracked from the Illawarra Regional Airport to Kiama and then direct to the Crookhaven Bight. The Lat/Long of Currarong was used for initial tracking to simulate the GPS data that would be received by AMSA from a 406 MHz GPS capable beacon. The aircraft began homing the training beacon over water at 140 knots and 1500 feet, then descended to 1000 feet and slowed to 100 knots at around 5 nm from Currarong.

Search Conditions

The conditions were good for searching with a light southerly wind and visibility of 10 km reducing to 5 km in haze. Sea conditions were calm. Aviation first light was 0640 hrs at Nowra Aerodrome.

Location Aids used

1 x Mk5 Day/Night hand held flare

1 x Mk8 Mini Pen-flare (3 cartridges which can be individually fired up into the air)

2 x Mk8 Floating Smoke flares (3 minute burn time)

Distress Signal Laser (eye-safe)

Personal Strobe Lights

VHF Marine Radio with DSC

Sea Marker Dye (large pack)

The aircraft deployed a MK25 floating flare that burnt for 18 minutes before self-scuttling.

Sequence of Detection/Timeline

(Reminder 1 nm = 1.85 km)

0602 hrs            Confirmation of exercise

0607 hrs            Aircraft started

0612 hrs             Rescue 26 departed the Illawarra Regional Airport for Crookhaven Bight

0616 hrs             121.4 MHz Beacon detected by Rescue 26 abeam Kiama at range of 20 nm from Currarong

0617 hrs            Nightsun high intensity searchlight switched on abeam Gerringong  - Kayakers visual with aircraft lights when abeam Geroa at range of 15 nm

0620 hrs             VHF Marine comms established with kayakers shortly after Geroa

0622 hrs            Mk 5 Pen flare fired by kayakers and seen by aircraft crew on NVG’s at a range of 7 nm

0623 hrs            Hand held Mk 8 night flare fired by kayakers and seen by aircraft crew on NVG’s at range of 5 nm

0625 hrs             Kayakers could hear aircraft at a range of 2.5 nm

0625 hrs             Signal laser seen at 2.5 miles

0625 hrs             Personal strobes seen at around 2 nm

0626 hrs            Single light source (head lamp) seen at around 1 nm

0626 hrs             Overhead kayakers

Because the conditions were dark and the aircraft is not capable of hovering over water at night, a MK 25 flare was deployed by the aircraft from 300 ft in forward flight to assist with ongoing position identification.

The aircraft then departed to a position 5 nm to the east and instructed the kayak group to deploy different types of location aids which they observed without the use of NVG’s. 

The signal laser and pen flare were both seen at 5 nm with the naked eye, but the crew were looking directly at the kayakers position (which was marked by the Mk25 floating flare), not searching the general area.

At 0640 hrs the aircraft then tracked towards the kayakers and day location aids were used.  Floating smoke flares, a hand held smoke flare, and sea maker dye were used and were visual from a distance of 2.5 nm. 

Digital Selective Calling (DSC)

The kayakers used the VHF Marine Radio DSC capability and the aircraft received a distress signal code, a discrete message number, and an associated Lat/Long position on the Chelton Homer display. Marine Rescue Shoalhaven also received this DSC information, which they enquired about, and we were able to cross check the codes with them to verify that the signal was part of the exercise.

Conclusion

By far the most effective location aid was the distress beacon.  The aircraft homing system detected the beacon at an extended range, allowed the crew to look in a known direction for the detection of visual location aids, and guided the crew to directly over head the survivors. If the kayakers had only a beacon and personal strobes, they would have been located by the use of the homing system and NVG’s. The night pyrotechnics (Mk 5 hand held night flare, Mk 8 pen flare) were very effective under NVG’s as was the signal laser. The laser had the advantage of providing continuous signalling whereas the flares had only limited burn times.  The use of the flares to gain the attention of the crew followed by the use of the laser to maintain identification would be the best combination for night visual identification.

The laser used was an eye-safe distress signalling laser designed specifically for SAR purposes. Contact Guy Reeve of the NSWSKC for more details.

The day location aids were very effective at close range and would be required if sea conditions were rough.  The sea marker dye was just as effective as the smoke flares from a distance of 2.5 nm. The signal mirror wasn’t used.

The VHF Marine Radio DSC message facility was nearly as effective as the homing beacon and had the advantage of providing a Lat/Long directly to the aircraft for use in the aircraft flight management system. The message also alerted local Marine Rescue, and would be combined with VHF radio spoken communication in a real distress situation.

The performance of the location aids would degrade as the sea and weather conditions deteriorate, and the exercise was conducted in excellent search conditions. 

Julian Holder

Pilot

ASNSW Rescue Helicopter

Illawarra Regional Airport

 Internet Coordinator's Addendum

Julian Holder is a member of the NSW Sea Kayak Club and a grade 3 paddler. The club is grateful to him and Guy Reeve, our training coordinator for this initiative.