Search and Rescue

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Search and Rescue

• Basics
• Prepared By
• Terry Cooper

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Who does SAR?

• SAR is provided by
• Canadian Armed Forces Air Marine
• Canadian Coast Guard Marine
• Police Ground and inland waterways
• Joint Rescue Coordination (JRCC) centres at
  Halifax, Trenton and Victoria.
• CAF and CCG
• Additional SAR resources provided by the Civil
  Air Search And Rescue Association (CASARA), Coast
  Guard Auxiliary (CGA) and other volunteer groups
  for ground SAR.

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CASARA

• Nationwide volunteer organization
• Ontario units Thunder Bay, Hearst, Sault Ste.
  Marie, Chapleau, New Liskeard, North Bay,
  Sudbury, Niagara, London, Ottawa
• Search taskings from Trenton JRCC in support of
  424 SAR Squadron

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SAR Responsibility Areas
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What does SAR do?

• MCC determines crash location from SARSAT/COSPAS
  data
• JRCC determines search area, resources, and
  controls searches.
• CAF, CASARA and CCGA search for missing aircraft
  or vessels.
• CAF SAR Techs provide emergency medical care and
  evacuation.

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What Will A Crashed Airplane Look Like?
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What Will It Look Like? (2)
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Visual Search 1

• 500 AGL Wheres the crash?

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Visual Search 2

• How about now? (200 AGL)

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When does SAR start?

• ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) signal
  detected by SARSAT/COSPAS or other aircraft.
• Flight Plan or Flight Itinerary expires and JRCC
  is notified.
• ATC loses contact with aircraft which is under
  their control.

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SAR Steps

• JRCC is notified of ELT signal or missing
  aircraft
• Search resources are tasked.
• 1st stage search typically a track crawl
• Looking for active target (ELT, smoke, signals,
  etc.)
• Search progresses to low level coverage of search
  area (CSAD).
• Target found, SAR Techs jump in.

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How long will it take?

• Assuming your ELT is working.
• Average time to Satellite pass 45 mins.
• Minimum of two passes before ELT targeted and
  search triggered (90 mins).
• Time to launch 1-2hrs
• Time to reach search area ?
• Plan on spending the night!

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CSAD
Waypoint
CSAD1
Planned Track
15Nm
Last Known Position
30Nm
CSAD2
20Nm
Destination
10Nm
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Search Types

• Electronic
• ELT Homing/Aural Fade in the air
• ELT Homing on the ground
• Visual
• Track Crawl
• Creeping Line Ahead/Parallel Track
• Expanding Square Sector
• Shore line

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What is an ELT?

• Low power radio transmitter (50-75mw 121.5) (5W
  406)
• 121.5Mhz, 243Mhz (military) or 406Mhz
• Triggered by impact/shock
• 48 Hour battery life
• External and Built-in antennas
• Typically installed in the tail of an aircraft

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SARSAT/COSPAS System
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Typical ELT Tasking

• JRCC Calls CASARA Ottawa Pager
• ELT signal at LAT/LONG confidence level 3, also
  reported by high flyers
• CASARA organizes air crew and ground team
• Crews are briefed, search tactics are planned,
  crews launch
• Air unit narrows search area and directs ground
  team in.

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Signal Confidence

• SARSAT cases are given a confidence value.

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Tools of the Trade
Handheld H Antenna
Little L-Per
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Vehicle Mount Quad
Magnetic Vehicle mount antennas
Left/Right
Fore/Aft
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A/C External Antennas
Temporary Strut mount installation
Permanent Belly mount installation
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ELT Homing

• Hunting an ELT with homing equipped aircraft
  (L-Per).
• Initial point typically a SARSAT hit.
• Initial pattern is a 12nm X 18nm box centred on
  the SARSAT position given.
• CSP selected on opposite side of box from takeoff
  point.
• Initial search speed should be max. cruise for
  the aircraft, until target is picked up and
  circle of probability is narrowed.

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ELT Search Plan
18nm
CSP
N
12nm
SARSAT Hit
Base
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Aural Fade

• Used to home an ELT with standard Comms radio.
• Based on the theoretical circular transmission
  pattern of an ELT.
• Limited accuracy
• Provides starting point for Expanding Square
• Focus is not on visual search therefore higher
  speeds can be used.

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Typical Visual Search

• JRCC tasking includes
• Target type (SOB, etc.)
• Planned route (time off, expected arrival,)
• Last Known Point (LKP)
• Tasking will be something like
• Returning track crawl, 3000/5
• CLA, Mile 30-40, North of track, tracking East,
  CSP SW corner, 1000/1

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Track Crawl

• Primary search
• Non-returning
• Follow track scanning either side of track
• Direction based on search starting point
• Returning
• Fly offset from track (distance scanning range)
• Both sides of track, returning to starting point
• Typically 5nm scan range, covers CSAD 1 in one
  tasking.

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Track Crawl(returning)
Destination
LKP
1V
Base
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Creeping Line AheadParallel Track

• Search a rectangular section of search area.
• Typically carried out after Track Crawl is
  completed without success.
• Generally coverage starts high/wide, progressing
  to with successive passes low/narrow (increased
  detail)
• CLA is perpendicular to track, Parallel is

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CLA
Turns Outside
1V
2V
Search Area
ESP
CSP
Base
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Expanding Square

• Used to visually search from SARSAT hit or ELT
  homing location.
• Starts at given point, expanding outward.
• Right hand turns (Nav on the low side)

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Expanding Square
CSP
1V
2V
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Sector Search

• Used to cover a specific area in detail from
  several angles.
• Multiple angles give spotters a better view of
  the ground.
• Circle around a given point (sighting report,
  etc.), typically 5nm
• 45 or 60 differential
• Repeated as required to cover area

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Sector Search
ESP
45 Differential Sector Search
CSP
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Shoreline search

• As the name suggests, used to cover the shoreline
  of a lake or river.
• Follows the shoreline just off shore, ensuring
  that the spotters view is not blocked by the
  aircraft.
• Return track is flown over land, 1V from the
  shoreline.

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Shoreline Crawl
Turn point
Search Aircraft track Off shore,
following Contour of shoreline
CSP
Search Aircraft track On shore, following Contour
of shoreline 1V in.
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Credits

• Presentation developed by T. Cooper
• Crash photos from www.CAP-ES.net (Scott E Lanis
  US Civil Air Patrol)

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Fly Safe (and file a flight plan)