USCG Floatplane rescue from AOPA

[Robborsari]

"Shaw said a Civil Air Patrol aircraft circled until it was low on fuel, and a Cessna 206 from the California Highway Patrol stayed with the airplane for more than an hour until the rescue. The Coast Guard acknowledged CAP, California Highway Patrol, and Customs and Border Protection aircraft for helping to spot the aircraft, adding that two emergency radio beacons, including a personal locator beacon, helped search-and-rescue personnel locate it. "

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2012/120913power-loss-over-rough-seas.html?WT.mc_id=120914epilot&WT.mc_sect=tts&cmp=ePlt:RdMr

I don't know if that link works without an AOPA membership.

I did not see this discussed on here.  Anyone have any more details on how CAP got involved?

[Critical AOA]

My guess is that they were probably already in the air and in the area and ATC asked them to take a look.  It happens.

[bosshawk]

However it happened, there are several CAP units within 15 or 20 minutes flying time of the crash location. 

[Critical AOA]

True but how long does it normally take after the call is made before the average CAP plane can be in the air to make that 15 - 20 minute flight?

[bosshawk]

Two hours to two days!!!!

[Mark_Wheeler]

Two hours to two days!!!!

Not always. Page came out at Midnight, we were in the air at 0100. Mind you myself and the MP lived close to the airport, but still a fairly quick response.

Mark

[Critical AOA]

That is fast.  Get the call, get dressed, drive to airport, mission brief with crew, preflight, get a release, engine start, runup and takeoff in one hour.   Even if you lived on the airport, that would be impressive!

[a2capt]

Yes, no. maybe. I've done it, too. BITD I was in the air with a crewmate in under an hour from being called.

If one of you lives closer to the airport than the other and starts doing stuff.  I've gotten there when the observer was also a pilot and I was perfectly fine with them doing all the preflight stuff while I drove up, walked around once more, was handed a checklist as I opened the door, strapped in and called Clear Prop a couple minutes later, and outta there.

'cause  I have my flight bag, headset,  radios and such, as well as the CAP ES stuff in a cabinet by the front door. Grab and go. Done.

At 0100 ... you can get many places pretty optimally, there's no one out there.

[Mark_Wheeler]

Luckily we worked very well together and had a nice division of labor. MP took care of the airplane, I got the 406 ELT Information. With that type of mission the actual briefing was fairly simple and direct. Plus being a small airport with the tower closed, the only airplanes in the sky were us and 2 local police air units.

Mark

[bosshawk]

Good on ya!!  When I lived in San Jose, I can remember getting alerted and being off the ground in an hour: of course, I lived 10 minutes from the airport.

You are correct, having a competent right seater makes all the difference.

On the other hand, I have seen it take better than a day to gather a crew and get them moving.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

Good go Mark but I thought this was in NorCal, and was that not a long flight from where you live?

[bosshawk]

I believe that the crash occured off Morro Bay: not quite Northern CA, but more like Central.

[Mark_Wheeler]

Good go Mark but I thought this was in NorCal, and was that not a long flight from where you live?

I'm pretty sure you're the one that just e-mailed me No I was on the 406 ELT in So Cal late at night, it was one of your aircrews up north.

Mark

[Flying Pig]

Morro Bay in Nor Cal?  Hmmmmm. not hardly

[bosshawk]

My guess was a crew out of Paso Roble, San Luis Obispo or Santa Maria: can't remember where they have planes based these days.

[SarDragon]

Pretty sure there's still one in Santa Maria. Don't have time right now to look up any others.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

I'm not sure there was a CAP plane there.  Not unless it was a member owned plane.

[bosshawk]

All of this tooing and frooing comes from a statement in the original post to the effect that a CAP plane circled the accident site until it ran low on fuel.  Just a lot of speculation as to to who and how.

[Check Pilot/Tow Pilot]

It's not in WMIRS so that says something.