Posted on 03/20/2014 5:56:11 AM PDT by don-o
ELIZABETHTON — Crash investigator Russ Standifur with the Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene in a remote section of Holston Mountain on Wednesday, trying to recover all the pieces of the crashed plane and the puzzle of why it crashed shortly after take off from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport on Tuesday evening.
The good news is that there are three witnesses to help with putting the puzzle together. All three occupants of the Cessna 172 survived, and after two were listed in critical condition at the time they were rescued, all were rapidly recovering and are now in stable condition.
(Excerpt) Read more at johnsoncitypress.com ...
However one could question the use of a medical helicopter in search activities. Their crews do not routinely receive "search" training and the protocols of many flight services prohibit search activities. I guess all is well that ends well.
The county sheriff knew what assets he had locally and the med evac is what was close at hand. The general location was known and he knew he had to get something in the air before darkness fell. I don’t think that Civil Air Patrol could have responded in time.
I am extremely proud of my neighbors who worked this situation. Not too shabby for a bunch of “ignorant hillbillies”.
In fact, it would not surprise me if the med evac helos had trained for this very possibility in the exercises that the local folks do in disaster training.
They did indeed do good. Some of the best first responders I have seen are from rural areas. Yes there are bubba's who are in it for the lights and sirens, but most take their tasks and training seriously. Just hope the copter crew does not get into trouble over Da Rules if search assistance is not in Wings protocols.
Here in DFW a local and popular radio traffic guy was fired for rescuing a woman from a car during a flashflood, she would have died had he not acted but the insurance said it was a no-no.
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