Minnesota Wing Aircrew Training: Tasks P2025, P2026, O2004

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Minnesota Wing Aircrew Training Tasks P-2025,
P-2026, O-2004

• Search Coverage
• Disaster Assessment

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Search Coverage
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Definitions

• Search Involves
• Estimating the position of the wreck or survivors
• Determining the area to be searched
• Selecting the search techniques to be used
• Last Known Point
• Critical Information
• A newly learned LKP can completely reshape a
  search
• Possibility Area (Theoretical)
• Circle around the Last Known Position (LKP)
• The radius is equal to the endurance of the
  aircraft
• Correct for wind
• Probability Area (Statistical)
• Where is the aircraft likely to be

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Determining the Possibility Area
No wind endurance
Flight level winds 330/20 Aircraft Speed
100 Kts Endurance 2 Hours Therefore,
range of aircraft 200 miles radius of
circle Winds cause circle to be offset by 40
miles
40NM
LKP
200 NM
Wind vector
Corrected for wind
Maximum possibility area
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Probability Area

• Based on past searches
• CSAD Canadian Search Area Definition
• 77 Probability of Area (POA) within 10 NM of
  intended track
• 83 POA within 15NM

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Probability Area (cont.)

• Concentration of cases near LKP and destination
• Slightly more in last half, especially last
  quarter

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Narrowing the Probability Area

• Flight plan (even if not on file with the FAA)
• Is there an ELT?
• Weather information
• Last point where RADAR had the aircraft
  identified
• Radar coverage as a limiting factor
• Airports along the intended flight track
• Aircraft performance
• Pilots flying habits
• Nature of terrain along the flight track
• Position reports fuel stops, etc.
• Reports of sightings
• Other aircraft
• People living along the intended route of flight

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The Balancing Act

• Limited Resources
• Choosing Patterns, spacing, altitudes, etc.
• Planning Time in Search Area how much time does
  it take to complete a search assignment?

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Search Priorities

• Areas of bad weather
• Low clouds and poor visibility
• Areas where weather was not as forecast
• High terrain
• Areas not covered by radar
• Reports of low flying aircraft
• Survival factors
• Radio contacts or MAYDAY calls

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Search Visibility

• Not the same as meteorological visibility
  (distance at which large objects can be seen)
• Distance at which an object on the ground can be
  seen and recognized from an aircraft in flight.
  It is always less than meteorological visibility
• Track spacing should never be more than two times
  search visibility

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Search Visibility
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Probability Of Detection (POD)

• POD expressed as a percent search object was
  detected
• Four interrelated factors used to calculate
• Track Spacing
• Search Visibility
• Search Altitude
• Type of Terrain
• Cumulative POD calculated using a chart
• Effectiveness must also be considered

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Probability of Detection (POD)
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Cumulative POD
Cumulative Probability of Detection Chart
Previous POD

• 5-10 15
• 11-20 20 25
• 21-30 30 35 45
• 31-40 40 45 50 60
• 41-50 50 55 60 65 70
• 51-60 60 65 65 70 75 80
• 61-70 70 70 75 80 80 85 90
• 71-80 80 80 80 85 85 90 90 95
• 80 85 85 90 90 90 95 95 95 95
• 5-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70
  71-80 80

POD For This Search
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Disaster Assessment

• Natural and man-made
• Examples of CAP services
• Air and ground SAR services
• Air and ground visual and/or video imaging
• Flood boundary determination
• Air and ground transportation
• Courier flights
• Radio communications support

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How Disasters Can Effect CAP Operations

• Effects of extreme weather
• Physical landscape may be so altered as to make
  maps obsolete or make navigation difficult
• Damage or destruction of area infrastructure
• Effects of biological, chemical or radiological
  terrorism (or accidental release)

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Assessment

• Flying damage assessment sorties is not much
  different from our SAR search patterns
• The big difference is what you look for
• Should be asking questions such as
• What is the geographical extent and severity of
  the damage?
• Is the damage spreading? If so, how far and how
  fast?
• How has access/egress been affected?
• What are the primary and secondary hazards?
• Is the disaster threatening critical structures
  or areas?
• Have utilities been affected or are they
  threatened?
• Can you see alternatives to problems?

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Assessment

• Some specific things to be looking for are
• Breaks in pavement, railways, bridges, dams,
  levees, pipelines, runways and structures
• Roads/streets blocked by water, debris or
  landslide
• Downed power lines
• Ruptured water lines
• Motorists in distress or major accidents
• Alternate routes for emergency vehicles or
  evacuation
• Distress signals from survivors

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Assessment

• At each site, besides sketching or highlighting
  the extent of the damage and identifying access
  and egress routes, you should record
• Latitude and longitude
• Description
• Type and extent of damage
• Photo number, or time reference for videotape
• Status and trends

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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Aerial survey of WTC
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Flooding over levee
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Seeping behind levee
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Flooded approach
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Bridge damage
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Tornado
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Tornado
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Tornado leaves slabs
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Close-up of tornado damage
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Wide image of train wreck
Chemical spill (hazmat)
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Close image of train wreck
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Close image of train wreck
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Infrared image of train wreck
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Plume from train wreck
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Missing Person Search

• A person is very difficult to spot from the air
  if they are not actively trying to be spotted
• Lost children and people with diminished capacity
  can be especially difficult to spot from the air
  often they will hide from searchers
• Lost people often fight topography children
  under five years frequently travel uphill
• Important to know what color clothes they were
  wearing (not just the outer clothes) and their
  habits

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Person on the Ground
PLAIN SHIRT, 1000 AGL
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Person on the Ground
PLAIN SHIRT, 500 AGL
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Person on the Ground
CAMO SHIRT, 500 AGL
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Person on the Ground
YELLOW SHIRT, 500 AGL
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Person on the Ground
BLUE SHIRT, 500 AGL
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Person on the Ground
ORANGE SHIRT, 500 AGL
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Person on the Ground
SIGNAL MIRROR, 500 AGL