Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Fire department wasn't told of the missing MD helicopter for almost 45 minutes. Timeline of the search and raw video of crash site.
Watch raw video from crash site
Statement from pilot Stephen Bunker's family
Funeral information for Trooper Lippy and trust fund information
STATter 911 has learned there was an apparent delay in notifying rescuers the Maryland State Police helicopter that crashed late Saturday night had disappeared from radar at Andrews Air Force Base.The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Monday the time of the crash was 11:58 PM. That is also the time an air traffic controller at Andrews lost communications with the chopper.
Dispatch times and sources familiar with the response indicate that fire and EMS dispatchers with the Prince George's County 911 center were not alerted to the possibility of a downed helicopter until 12:41 AM, 43 minutes after the crash occurred.
The helicopter was not found until shortly after 2:00 AM in Walker Mill Regional Park near District Heights. A patient on the medical flight, eighteen-year-old Jordan Wells was found alive in the wreckage by a police officer. She remains hospitalized. Four others were killed in the crash, including the flight crew, an EMS worker and another patient.
Rescuers were guided to the location by information received through Verizon about the possible location of a cell phone belonging to a member of the helicopter crew.
STATter 911 has contacted Maryland State Police about the length of time it took to get word to fire crews about the missing helicopter. Spokesman Greg Shipley says he is looking into the matter.
The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department has referred questions to NTSB. NTSB has not commented on the delay.
According to dispatching records, Ambulances 827 (Morningside) and 823 (Forestville) were first sent to the Andrews Air Force Base hanger of Trooper 2 at 11:52 PM. They were to wait for the helicopter's arrival and complete the transport of two patients to the trauma center at Prince George's Hospital Center in Cheverly. The crew from Trooper 2 made the request after determining the visibility and ceiling had worsened considerably since leaving Andrews at 11:10 PM for the mission to Waldorf, MD.
The NTSB reports pilot Stephen Bunker had coordinated an instrument approach for runway 19-R and made contact with the tower at Andrews at 11:55 PM. Thirty seconds after being cleared to land, the pilot told the controller he had lost the glide slope. The glide slope is the part of the instrument landing system that guides the aircraft's altitude for a safe approach. After the controller confirmed everything appeared to be okay with the equipment on the airport's end, Bunker requested the tower guide him in verbally. Before that could happen, the chopper dropped from the radar. The time was 11:58 PM and the NTSB says the controller tried unsuccessfully to make radio contact with Trooper 2.
STATter 911 has been made aware of the timeline for the search as entered by fire and EMS dispatchers at the Prince George's County Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC). Below are a list of some of the significant events as emergency crews in Prince George's County and other jurisdictions searched for the missing chopper. This is only a partial timeline that does not include every unit dispatched and location checked. It also does not include actions by police officers. STATter 911 has been told there were police officers searching prior to notification of the fire department.
12:03 AM: By this time both Ambulances 827 and 823 had reported they were at Andrews.
12:12 AM: Ambulances 827 and 823 were waiting at the hanger.
12:41 AM: Dispatchers entered the first of a series of messages into the computer system indicating that Trooper 2 was missing. The information about the disappearance of the chopper came from the Maryland State Police Barracks in Forestville. The barracks reported Andrews Air Force Base approximated Trooper 2's last contact at two miles from the base, coming from the north. It also mentioned the area of Westphalia Road off of Route 4.
12:48 AM: PSCC indicated they were working with SYSCOM and Andrews Air Force Base in an effort to find the helicopter. SYSCOM is the state communications facility that coordinates medical helicopter transports.
12:54 AM: Battalion Chief 803 was sent to the Forestville Barracks to coordinate the search. At the same time GPS coordinates that had been provided to PSCC indicated a location in Calvert County, MD. Calvert's 911 center was contacted.
12:54 AM: Chief 837A (Ritchie) reported in, having checked locations around Fed Ex Field in Landover. This happened four minutes before a specific request from the Forestville Barracks that all parking lots around the stadium be checked as a possible place where the chopper pilot might have attempted an emergency landing.
1:09 AM: Battalion Chief 803 and EMS 814 reported arriving at the Forestville barracks.
1:18 AM: A representative from Verizon advised that a "ping" of a cell phone belonging to one of the helicopter crew members had the signal coming from the tower at 9100 East Hampton Drive. That area was given to Engine 837 to check.
1:26 AM: It was reported sheriff's deputies in Charles and Calvert Counties were searching their jurisdictions for the missing helicopter.
1:40 AM: Further information from Verizon indicated the signal was coming into the west side of the East Hampton Drive tower with the possibility the phone was located within a 3 to 5 mile radius.
1:43 AM: Brush 843 (Bowie) was checking Watkins Park.
1:50 AM: Battalion Chief 801 set up a command post at a fast food restaurant within the area that was being checked around the East Hampton Drive tower.
2:01 AM: Fire and EMS crews were told that a police officer smelled jet fuel in the area of Ritchie Road and Walker Mill Road.
2:04 AM: The helicopter was located in Walker Mill Regional Park.
2:09 AM: It was determined there was only one survivor.
: September 30, 2008 2:22 PM I wonder if the person who left the previous comment has ever tried tracking a cell phone. Honestly, getting that accurate of a response from Verizon in 40 minutes is lightning speed.
ELTs, oh boy do I know ELTs. I hate to break it to you folks, but ELTs are not indestructable and are subject to many variables. There are many satellites monitoring for the signal, but it can take several hours before you happen to have one of those satellites pass over a given area. Sometimes satellite passes are only 15 minutes apart. Oh, and that national center is right down the street in Suitland. The tower at Andrews AFB would have better luck picking up the ELT signal sooner by turning on a radio. That still wouldn't tell them where the thing was, just that there was one going off somewhere nearby. ELTs also frequently get set off by accident.
If you think you can do better, try getting involved with a Search & Rescue team yourself. Until then, we in the SAR community will continue to get no sleep doing the best job we can.
: September 30, 2008 3:20 PM Why don't you investigate the over-utilization of helicopters transports for mechanism traumas. The patients probably didn't need to be transported via chopper in the first place. From what I understand, both patients were Category D traumas--trauma based on EMS provider judgment. EMS providers often get excited when they see crumpled vehicles, but often get tunnel vision and don't match the patient's injury to the vehicle damage. Vehicles are made with crumple zones to absorb the impact of the crash. For these type of 'traumas' providers are to consider helicopter transport if of clinical benefit.
I hope the providers on-scene of the original accident ask themselves, "what clinical benefit was to be gained by sending these two patients via helicopter" even without having the current knowledge of the outcome of the transport.
I also hope that they, and their fellow providers who live greater than 30 minutes away from the closest trauma center, will think twice and transport by land unless there is a true clinical benefit.
On more than one occasion I have arrived on-scene to an incident in which a helicopter was started by command, only to turn the chopper around because the patient did not warrant that kind of transport. We must look at the patient's injuries taking into consideration the damage to the car to assist us in making good decisions.
Just because you can fly your patient doesn't mean you should. Sometimes land transports are just as fast or even faster.
: September 30, 2008 8:08 PM : September 30, 2008 9:53 PM According to this story, they were contacted shortly after midnight, not 45 mins after they lost contact.
: September 30, 2008 10:34 PM : September 30, 2008 11:00 PM You will note in our timeline Hayden had alreay checked Fed Ex Field before MSP made the request.
Gary Reals did the story today and I will add it for the morning.
Thanks.
Statter
: April 6, 2009 9:42 PM Links to this post:
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