http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=174753&catid=339
I always enjoy seeing CAP operations highlighted, though I wish it weren't always such somber circumstances surrounding our operations (such is the nature of what we do though).
+1
btw, flightaware shows a track that ends approximately 26 miles from Pueblo:
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N727MC
Colorado Wing has located the aircraft.
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=174753&catid=339 (http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=174753&catid=339)
Thanks to the ground teams who have been out looking since early morning, to our aircrews, and to helo crews from Kirtland AFB who were able to quickly locate the aircraft. Our prayers are with the surviving families.
Wow, and they turned near the end there, otherwise would have been right over Silver West. Snagged fuel from there once passing from KC to Carlsbad. (CA).
Challenging terrain..
To give credit where credit is due, also participating on this search and who had search crews out until late last night were the US Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Fremont County SAR, Huerfano County Sheriff's Office and the lead ground agencies Custer County Sheriff's Office and SAR team. COWG had multiple ground teams searching and used a couple of aircrews.
CAP Talk's Smithsonia was the CAP agency rep at the Custer County Command Post.
Mike
Cudos on this safe and successful search mission to everyone listed above. Custer County Colorado has 3800 total residents and there was a total response of nearly 300 persons. Challenging conditions with blizzarding white outs, 14,000 foot peaks, and killer beauty. The Division of Wildlife and Forest Service snowmobile teams cleared the territory right up to the wilderness boundary. They did this in the heart of the storm and middle of the night. I checked them back into base at 4:20 am.
Civilian Fremont County DF Teams (during the storm) circled the Sangre De Christos (300 mile round trip) looking for signals at the same time. We came on duty at 7AM. Weather wouldn't allow for Air Search until after 2PM. Ground teams launched at 8AM. CAP had 7 members in the initial search and more coming in throughout the day. (thanks to Air Academy and Pueblo CAP SAR Teams)
Custer County and CAP worked well together at base and in the field. The Custer County Team got the "find." While everyone was getting signals it wasn't until the CAP Peterson based 182s showed up at 2:30PM that we got hard targets. Kirtland based Blackhawks were a great asset too.Helo - Ghost 05! Thanks - no, double THANKS. Peterson CAP AirCrews you did first rate work.
Monday - It was a race against time as gloom comes on at 4PM and hard dark by 5PM - and the crews were an hour or two from base. Aircrews gave a pinpoint about 3PM and one of Custer's Crew made the eyes-on find. Local knowledge of the territory was invaluable. Their team leader (who's name is Cindy and I am sorry I didn't get her last name) was a force of nature equal to the challenge. Although a little community - their work was first rate., training evident, and spirit infectious.
All that said, SARDAK (Mike McDonald) and the radar itel and analysis-crew deduced the last radar hits will be the unsung heroes of this mission. We had a place to start the ground work and that intelligence was ready when I walked in the door at 2:30 AM. Their on-target intell got us to within a couple of miles from the wreck location. This was the difference between waiting for the weather to clear and charging into the area while snow fell. My congratulations to all crews, CAP Members, PAO remote teams in Denver and Colorado Springs, Local SAR teams and sheriff's departments from 3 counties.
This wasn't the biggest search I have ever been on. I would say it was among the best run and best done.
I am very tired today - it is a good tired. We are lucky to do this work. We are fortunate to be in CAP. We are
blessed to be among a these dedicated volunteers.
CAP Members Pete Dunn, Scott Orr, Chris O'Shell, Earl Sherwin, Mike McDonald, Mike Daniels, (my IC) Maj. Mark Young, and everyone else not mentioned but deeply appreciated - Job Well Done! My Salute to you all.
My thanks for your service.
My deepest appreciation comes attended by the thanks of the victims family who, even though exhausted and after finding out that there were no survivors - waited to personally thank the returning teams. I've never seen this before. I am humble to have been the witness. It was from the heart, done in real time, and was human gratitude that came from the soul.
KUDOs, COWG. We should all learn from this search. Thanks for your great reporting, Ed.
Quote from: Smithsonia on January 11, 2011, 06:38:03 PMMy deepest appreciation comes attended by the thanks of the victims family who, even though exhausted and after finding out that there were no survivors - waited to personally thank the returning teams. I've never seen this before. I am humble to have been the witness. It was from the heart, done in real time, and was human gratitude that came from the soul.
:'( Definitely. I can't place words on that.
Here's a couple of video TV Stories on the search from KRDO and KKTV in Colorado Springs.
http://www.krdo.com/news/26436341/detail.html
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Search_For_Missing_Plane_113171339.html
Ed, good information there. I'm glad you posted it. All too often our missions are a mystery to everyone who wasn't physically present. Accounts like yours remind us why we train, and reaffirm that we posess a valuable skill set.
Although the outcome of the search was tragic, hearing about CAP successfully integrating in a multijurisdictional incident is very encouraging. CAP lore is full of examples of our failing to play well with other children. It's nice to see an increasing number of postive experiences.
All of the after actions are now coming together and updates to the record can be made. So let me add to the list of those deserving credit and honor.
Cindy Howard from Custer County SAR is the Ground Team Leader that I spoke about earlier.
C/LtCol Michael Head (GTL) - Boulder Composite Squadron
C/Capt Alec Biscardi - Valkyrie Cadet Squadron
C/MSgt Kyleigh Vogels - Boulder Composite Squadron
CAP Group One's Ralph Jacobs are also to be congratulated and appreciated for their fine work on this mission.
Ralph reports:
Cindy was with our team all day and was excellent to work with. C/LtCol Michael Head from Boulder Composite Squadron deserves a lot of credit for his persistent work with the LPER. And the entire team for their willingness to be thorough and chase down that one last reading that led to the find.
Overnight IC Gary Rowland from Fremont County was able to brief us when we arrived just after midnight. The information he passed on to us (the radar analysis) and Cindy's desired jump off point actually put us less than a mile (probably closer to a half mile) from the crash site. The level of cooperation and teamwork among everyone involved was great to see.
The family returned about 6:00 PM to thank us when we returned to the Custer County SAR base. That gesture really made a big impression on the team.