(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Guardian Flight’s underwater search for their lost crew and missing aircraft continues in the waters of Frederick Sound.

Guardian Flight Alaska began its independent water search for the company’s missing crew and aircraft near Kake, in Southeast Alaska on February 11th, following cessation of search and rescue operations by the Coast Guard earlier. Guardian Flight had already conducted comprehensive coastal rotor wing surveys in the area.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for the overdue aircraft with three people aboard on January 31st. The Coast Guard conducted maritime and aerial serarches for more than 63 hours concentrated in an area of 240 square nautical miles before suspending the search. The Guardian Flight King Air 200 medical life flight was expected to land in Kake and the search began when the flight failed to arrive on January 29th.

On board the doomed flight were pilot Patrick Coyle, 63; flight nurse Stacie Rae Morse, 30; and flight paramedic Margaret Langston, 43; all based in Juneau.

On February 11, Guardian Flight announced it was utilizing a chartered boat, two captains and two crews for 24/7 operations. The search began over a six square mile area where the aircraft is believed to have entered the water. Depth of the water in the area is reportedly 300 to 1,000 feet.

The chartered search vessel deployed on the 11th by Guardian Flight towed a ping detector to help locate the cockpit voice recorder’s underwater beacon. Once the beacon is located, the search plan called for the vessel to launch a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) for potential confirmation of the location of the aircraft crew and aircraft. Quoting a news release, "Hopefully divers will then be able to find and retrieve the crew and aircraft."

The next day, Randy Lyman, Senior Vice President of Guardian Flight Operations, announced, "We are confirming that the search efforts for Guardian Flight’s missing crew and aircraft has taken a step forward. The underwater beacon ping from the cockpit voice recorder “black box” has been detected. There will now be efforts to narrow down its location through triangulation and to determine depth. We are hopeful that the Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) will assist in visually spotting the aircraft and be followed by successful recovery efforts. Again, our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt feelings are extended to the families, friends and colleagues of our fellow crew members."

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a Federal Government organization, is the lead investigative agency and has provided technical expertise to aid in determining a fix on the aircraft’s last location. However, it is not a search organization, so consequently Guardian Flight employed their own independent resources to continue the search efforts. Following location of the underwater beacon’s ping Guardian Flight planned to employ a remotely operated underwater vehicle and divers for recovery. According to Lyman, the lead investigator from the NTSB will be aboard the search vessel to support Guardian Flight’s search efforts. 

On February 14th, Lyman announced their chartered boat was equipped with the remotely operated underwater vehicle.

Lyman said, "Our chartered boat is ready with the remotely operated underwater vehicle aboard to further the search effort for the cockpit voice recorder, aircraft and our crew. The team has narrowed the search to an area with a 100-meter radius, however, the swells are too high to successfully operate the sub. Swells must be below 3 feet and as soon as that occurs, we will begin the underwater search activity."

Yesterday, Lyman again updated search progress in a news release stating, "Over the past few days, we have been able to deploy the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) during periods of “slack water” or “slack tides,” when visibility is greater and as water currents are more stable."

Lyman said the ROV also must only be deployed when ocean swells are less than 3 feet.  The lights of the ROV are effective up to 25 feet and it is also equipped with side sonar devices. In ideal weather conditions the ROV can be deployed up to four times per day for periods of 2 to 3 hours at a time. The chartered boat’s crew is remaining on site currently to maximize the search time periods said Lyman.

"Our primary focus is on locating our friends to return them to their families, recovering the Cockpit Voice Recorder and retrieving the aircraft," wrote Lyman yesterday.

Related:

Search for Overdue Life Flight Near Kake Suspended
SitNews - January 31, 2019

Source of News:

Guardian Flight Corporate Office
corporate.guardianflight.com/

 

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