Rescue 115 Declared Pan Pan Today.

Steyr

Around 12:35pm today Rescue 115 was tasked to a Medivac to a Ship but had to declare a Pan due to bad weather and Ice covering the Cockpit/Nose section completely. She then routed back to EICK-Cork for a Hot Refuel.

The Ship involved was the Corona Gloria, LE Orla was also tasked. R115 ran into a heavy snow storm and the ice builded up quickly so had to delcare the Pan Pan.

After the Hot Refuel R115 then lifted from Cork and routed back to the Ship as she was told to move in a Northerly Course at speed.

Around 1pm they were on scene and successfully winched down the Winchman and Paramedic and there were no reports of snow showers at that time, around 1:50pm she was then back at Cork, an Ambulance had been called to Cork for injured Crewman from the ship.

After lifitng from Cork R115 routed back to Shannon and checked in on Channel 67 every 15mins enroute back to Shannon.

R117 was on standby for an Incident in Co Wexford.

Also reported in the News:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1201/rescue.html

A second attempt to airlift an injured crewman from a fishing vessel off the Co Cork coast has been successful.

The Shannon-based Coast Guard Helicopter reached the boat shortly before 2pm and succeeded in taking the fisherman, an Egyptian national, on board.

The man, who had sustained serious injuries after being struck by a steel hawser, was to be taken to Cork University Hospital.

An earlier attempt to airlift him from the vessel when it was 110km south of Kinsale had to be abandoned when the helicopter flew into a snowstorm and its cockpit window iced over.

Holybejaysus

Well done to the crew involved, an excellent job under extreme circumstances. Hitting a heavy cloud in these conditions would have you iced up in no time at all, it's a good job they have the anti ice system built into the rotors.

Prenderb

What's a pan pan?

gbee

Prenderb wrote: »

What's a pan pan?

It's a first stage alert.

If a vessel or aircraft gets into difficulty but is not in immediate danger she issues a Pan Pan. All vessels go on alert.

If the situation deteriorates a May Day is issued, all ships in vicinity will now respond, other rescue services are launched.

BigDuffman

An "urgent situation" that does not give any immediate threat to life, but is will alert potential rescuers and others in the area. Just under a mayday call in terms of things going t!ts up.

Klunk001

Holybejaysus wrote: »

Well done to the crew involved, an excellent job under extreme circumstances. Hitting a heavy cloud in these conditions would have you iced up in no time at all, it's a good job they have the anti ice system built into the rotors.

No anti ice for the rotors or fuselage I'm afraid on the 61.They have windshield, pitot and engine anti ice systems. You would hope that low level (300ft or less over water) would help. Just shows you how bad the weather is at the mo. The 92's will have "RIPS", rotor ice protection system. That's a few years away yet.

Holybejaysus

Klunk001 wrote: »

No anti ice for the rotors or fuselage I'm afraid on the 61.They have windshield, pitot and engine anti ice systems. You would hope that low level (300ft or less over water) would help. Just shows you how bad the weather is at the mo. The 92's will have "RIPS", rotor ice protection system. That's a few years away yet.

Hmmm. I thought the 61's had rotor anti ice. I stand corrected...
That makes today's situation even more impressive!

Prenderb

gbee wrote: »

It's a first stage alert.

If a vessel or aircraft gets into difficulty but is not in immediate danger she issues a Pan Pan. All vessels go on alert.

If the situation deteriorates a May Day is issued, all ships in vicinity will now respond, other rescue services are launched.

I suppose I could have googled that - I was expecting a lmgtfy.com link! Thanks. Never heard of the term!

In light of the weather and conditions, I'm not surprised - it's serious work out there!

meathstevie

Fair play to the crew to take off at all with a yoke that isn't truly all weather for starters. Another example of emergency services personel going that extra step.

Klunk001

meathstevie wrote: »

Fair play to the crew to take off at all with a yoke that isn't truly all weather for starters. Another example of emergency services personel going that extra step.

Everything that flies has it's limits I suppose, when it comes to iceing. In the waters around this island, you usually would not expect to find freezing levels that low down over salt water. "Expect the unexpected" with the current weather would be a good motto.

It's these changes in our seasonal weather and to some degree the extremes in our weather here, over the last few years that a future SAR Helo with RIPS and other fancy stuff was considered, but again it will also have its limits like everything else when it comes to freezing weather.

Klunk001

Not the the only ones in a spot of bother

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/435537-european-weather-snow-joke.html

Holybejaysus

Klunk001 wrote: »

Not the the only ones in a spot of bother

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/435537-european-weather-snow-joke.html

Crikeys, This is starting to resemble 'The Day After Tomorrow'! I'd better stock up on firelogs and shotguns cartridges....

Klunk001

Funny, I was starting to think the same thing myself.

meathstevie

Holybejaysus wrote: »

Crikeys, This is starting to resemble 'The Day After Tomorrow'! I'd better stock up on firelogs and shotguns cartridges....

I've plenty of both

Steyr

Here was a lovely picture of the "Shannon Based CoastGuard Helicopter" in a Paper today....In all fairness how hard would it have been to Google a correct image of an S61N, they even mention its an S61N in the Story.

punchdrunk

muppets! :rolleyes:

did they call it air corps too?

goldie fish

Clearly the star are getting their news from... the future....