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Rescue 116 Crash at Blackrock, Co Mayo(Mod note in post 1)

sparrowcar

Contact lost just before 0100 off the west coast of Achill island on a rescue mission.
Search in progress including all available ships and Rescue 115.

Hopefully a positive outcome to this.

Please keep replies civil, and respectful of the crew and their families.

Please do not speculate as to any cause unless you have a factual basis to do so (and can back it up with information released to the public).

There will be zero tolerance for troublemakers or those that choose to ignore these guidelines.

There are other moderator messages in the thread, as a result of issues that have arisen, and we will be less forgiving going forward, due to the ongoing sensitivity of this incident

As per normal boards guidance, any comments on moderation are off topic and should be addressed directly to mods or cmods by PM. Any part of posts which are off topic in such a manner may be edited or removed, with possible sanction. Non news posts will be moved to the parallel R116 Non news and discussion thread

Should any new reports, updates or news stories come out, posts which can be boiled down to "I Told You So" or other triumphalism about previous commentary will result in significant punishment.

Any threadbans will carry over to any replacement thread should this approach 10,000 posts

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irishgeo

fishing vessels and lifeboats have left the search area. well done to the fisherman for joining the search. just the 2 navy boats left now.

sparrowcar

All have been named now

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/three-missing-crew-members-from-rescue-116-named-as-tributes-pour-in-for-mumofone-captain-dara-fitzpatrick-35531659.html

Armchair Andy

Read this before I went out to work this morning. I've been thinking of those heroes and how a 3 year old is mommy less tonight.
Makes me quietly very sad.
RIP ye brave people.

sdanseo

Haven't been able to get this out of my head all evening. Huge respect for all emergency services - it's terrible when any accident happens but when it involves the rescuers, it's somehow different.

R116 flies directly over us here all the time.

FionnK86

sparrowcar wrote: »

All have been named now

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/three-missing-crew-members-from-rescue-116-named-as-tributes-pour-in-for-mumofone-captain-dara-fitzpatrick-35531659.html

Heroes who gave their lives selflessly for others, truly reflective of their organisation's cause.

AMKC

Very very sad what happened today.

A great loss.

These people are heroes and Captain Dara Fitzpatrick was a hero too. May she rest in peace.

R.I.P Captain Dara Fitzpatrick.

kravmaga

RIP to all the crew, terrible shock as I see/hear the Dublin airport one passing daily over my house.

I thought the Sikorsky search and rescue helicopters were only purchased , tested and commissioned a few years back.

I wonder why no Mayday or emergency distress signal was sent or not from the crew to base.

May have been a sudden and immediate malfunction of the Sikorsky ??

RIP to all of the crew...................

siobhan08

Been thinking about this all day. Really enjoyed the rescue 117 series. I remember thinking Capt Fitzpatrick was awesome for achieving so much is such a male dominated industry. I wonder if RTE will broadcast any episodes in tribute

Spent a lot of time in the Sligo area growing up and would always see the 118 Chopper flying around and I've always been fascinated by the work they do.

The word hero is said a lot these days, but these men and women truly were heroes

RIP Capt Fitzpatrick

flazio

I'm a bit concerned that all the tracking and alarm systems the aircraft appears to have been fitted with seems to have failed and that the GPS trackers the crew were wearing haven't assisted the search operation.

Comhrá

Just watching the 9 O'Clock News on RTE, it was a pretty emotional scene live from Blacksod Bay.

Teresa Mannion was visibly affected while doing her report as was Eileen Dunne, but pros that they are, they did a great job of covering the ongoing operation.

irishgeo

flazio wrote: »

I'm a bit concerned that all the tracking and alarm systems the aircraft appears to have been fitted with seems to have failed and that the GPS trackers the crew were wearing haven't assisted the search operation.

Yes that's a serious concern. I imagine that the manufacturers and everyone else who run these helicopters are very concerned too.

I wonder do the black boxes ping their location?

zenga.m

it was a nice visit. thanks for your service!

Stheno

tippman1 wrote: »

Just watching the 9 O'Clock News on RTE, it was a pretty emotional scene live from Blacksod Bay.

Teresa Mannion was visibly affected while doing her report as was Eileen Dunne, but pros that they are, they did a great job of covering the ongoing operation.

Very very sad day, I sail in Howth, and we always here these guys (the Coastguard) on the radio setting off on missions and providing updates etc.

May all who have lost their lives RIP, a small part of me clings to a little bit of hope that one or more will be found washed up and in need of care.

It must be a brutal day to be a coastguard, searching in hope for one of their own.

And comfort and solace to the families of all those four crew, knowing this day was a possibility, but never believing it might come.

Cessna_Pilot

Have just watched the 9pm news coverage. Heart wrenching.

I and I'm sure many on here see these heroes day in day out in Dublin heading out on and back in from missions. If not at the airport it's when they are out on exercise around the Malahide estuary area or when, like last night, you hear them lifting and heading out at all hours to put their lives on the line for others.

Always wishing them luck silently when I'm taxiing down the foxtrots when they go down 16/34 and head off on their way.

Off to bed with an incredibly heavy heart tonight.

DOCARCH

flazio wrote: »

I'm a bit concerned that all the tracking and alarm systems the aircraft appears to have been fitted with seems to have failed and that the GPS trackers the crew were wearing haven't assisted the search operation.

May just be as a result of a catastrophic failure of the aircraft...that may explain the heli EIPRB?

And, the personal devices (PEIPRB), AFAIK, would usually be manually operated?

Just a theory! It is puzzling why at least one device did not activate, but, I am sure that will form part of the investigation, as these devices would be subject to ongoing/continuous checks and maintenance.

Stheno

DOCARCH wrote: »

May just be as a result of a catastrophic failure of the aircraft...that may explain the heli EIPRB?

And, the personal devices (PEIPRB), AFAIK, would usually be manually operated?

These devices would be subject to ongoing/continuous checks and maintenance.

No personal EPIRBs are supposed to send out a beacon without manual intervention iirc.

There was a recall a couple of years ago after some issues were discovered.

That said, it's not the time to speculate, I was devastated today driving to work and hearing this on the news.

Steve

I salute the crew of Rescue 116.

I have been to sea and slept soundly knowing these brave and courageous crew were waiting over us like guardian angels. This is a debt that has no price.

A sad, sad loss.

Cloudio9

Is it possible they don't yet have the equipment in place to locate the ping?

jimbis

I took this video at the open day in Dun Laoghaire a few months back. Such a hive of activity, excitement and happy faces that day.
Visited the same spot today and the pic below reflects what I'm sure most of us are feeling, grey and empty.

It's still so unbelievable that this wonderful machine is at the bottom of the sea and 4 lives lost....:(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqgznu1amMk

Bazzy

I heard it this morning and its been in my head all day also.

I've a love for choppers and anyone who can fly them

These people don't discriminate they will save anyone no matter who they are they drop everything and go like all our emergency services.

I remember the documentary with her in it struck me as a very level headed person what you need in a pilot.

A lot of people owe their lives to these people

Us irish have a nack of coming together when its needed and the fishing community of the west coast have done us proud as a nation they are struggling as it is and they dropped everything and away they went

I hope all the questions left can be answered

May whatever God you believe in look after our frontline emergency services.

Stheno

Just watched Prime Time there on this.

Nothing but admiration for the CG representative who overcame the emotion they must all be feeling to be interviewed.

I've a friend in the ambulance service who once took a call about a fatal RTA which was a colleague of theirs and they were devastated.

Can't imagine what it must be like to be involved as a CG today.

As a hobby sailor, you always know the lifeboat/CG are there if things go wrong, and at any sailing event where they are fundraising, noone hesitates to contribute.

Desperately sad sad day, affected my mood all day, and it only got worse.

I'm not religous, but god love those families now waiting and hoping and hoping for a miracle.

John_Rambo

Desperate news. I can't add to what's been said already. The sense of loss is palpable amongst the water based communities I'm involved in, some of whom are volunteers. The overhead thumping of these machines and their brave crews are a welcoming and comforting noise. Day and night. Thoughts are with 116's families and colleagues.

Steve

Stheno wrote: »

Just watched Prime Time there on this.

Nothing but admiration for the CG representative who overcame the emotion they must all be feeling to be interviewed.

I've a friend in the ambulance service who once took a call about a fatal RTA which was a colleague of theirs and they were devastated.

Can't imagine what it must be like to be involved as a CG today.

As a hobby sailor, you always know the lifeboat/CG are there if things go wrong, and at any sailing event where they are fundraising, noone hesitates to contribute.

Desperately sad sad day, affected my mood all day, and it only got worse.

I'm not religous, but god love those families now waiting and hoping and hoping for a miracle.

I also have a friend in CG, He's been on 116 once or twice but not this time. It was a small mercy not to see his name when the final list was published.

I was born in the '70's, There is a brass plaque above the fireplace at home which describes how my father was rescued at sea and the boat was lost when I was a child. It could have so easily gone the other way and I would only have had a plaque instead of a dad.

The children of the 116 crew were not so lucky.

HeidiHeidi

Watching the 9 news on +1 now - it's hard to watch, I'm in tears here.

I like many others had seen Dara Fitzpatrick on the RTE series, and thought she was brilliant, she had really stuck in my mind ever since. She also appeared on FB only last week in a photograph where she was out as one of an all-female crew on International Women's Day.

It's really, really hard to grasp the fact that she's gone. RIP.

God, it's a sad, sad day

I really hope the other crew are found soon for the sake of their families and loved ones.

irishgeo

often hear the rescue helicopters where i live in castlebar flying into land in the hospital. sometimes at mad hours. seen one coming into land once. they are a huge machine. thoughts and prayers are with the families tonight.

faoiarvok

flazio wrote: »

I'm a bit concerned that all the tracking and alarm systems the aircraft appears to have been fitted with seems to have failed and that the GPS trackers the crew were wearing haven't assisted the search operation.

The aircraft tracking system did work – it was the disappearance of the aircraft from the tracking system that caused the alarm to be raised.

We don't yet know if other systems worked or failed. Judging by the wreckage shown in news reports, it's possible that an ELT/EPIRB could have been located, but no longer in the immediate vicinity of the rest of the aircraft.

Radio beacon transmissions would also be very hard to detect if the beacons were submerged.

Bigbok

Why don't their personal locater beacons give signal once they come in contact with water,the life jackets we use when traveling offshore(on S92) all have the locater beacons on them?

TomOnBoard

Feeling terribly sad today for the crew of Rescue 116, their families and colleagues across the Coastguard and Lifeboat services.

I'm taking it to heart particularly because I use the water a lot as a medium for pleasure and as my greatest hobby, i.e. fishing both on Inland lakes (which are real seas on occasion particularly when nature is angry) and offshore.

People like Captain Fitzpatrick and her crew are the lifeline so many millions of people worldwide depend on for their survival when they get into trouble on the water, even when those being rescued put such crews into great danger by acting like blithering idiots. And the service is provided without judgement even in such cases.

These are true heroes. It is made more poignant as it was so recently that another lady rescuer was lost at sea off the Clare coast. And only last week, we saw the Sligo helicopter in action by assisting in the search for a local canoeist who was tragically lost on our lake here just across from Hodson Bay on Lough Ree in Co Roscommon.

We can only hope that the sea gives up the remaining crew members so that they can be brought home to their families, and that the recovery crews locate the data recorders so that the reasons behind this tragedy can be understood and other similar deaths across the world prevented.

May the souls of those who have been lost Rest In Peace... An above all, may no more souls be claimed as so many people put themselves in harm's way over the coming days in recovery operations. May they all return safely to shore...

ectoraige

Bigbok wrote: »

Why don't their personal locater beacons give signal once they come in contact with water,the life jackets we use when traveling offshore(on S92) all have the locater beacons on them?

The beacons don't work if they are submerged, unfortunately. Also, the winchmen would be expected to get wet so theirs may need manual activation. It's not clear yet under what circumstances Captain Fitzpatrick was recovered.

sdanseo

faoiarvok wrote: »

The aircraft tracking system did work – it was the disappearance of the aircraft from the tracking system that caused the alarm to be raised.

We don't yet know if other systems worked or failed. Judging by the wreckage shown in news reports, it's possible that an ELT/EPIRB could have been located, but no longer in the immediate vicinity of the rest of the aircraft.

Radio beacon transmissions would also be very hard to detect if the beacons were submerged.

You can listen to Shannon ATC at liveatc.net and I had a look at the archives, the time period is recorded as are most airports in Ireland. Kind of wish I hadn't. The controller calls three times, and just no reply.

You can only imagine what was going through his head.