Document
2009 Issue 1
On Top of the Situation
During mobilization of an Airtanker from Missoula to Alamogordo for the Four Cor- ners fire, Don Sutliff, the aircraft dispatcher at NICC noticed the aircraft icon turn red on Automated Flight Following (AFF). AFF is a system that automatically tracks the location and velocity of AFF equipped aircraft and provides near-real-time information to dispatchers, aviation managers, and other authorized users. The status of the air- craft is displayed by color and when the icon turns red, that indicates lost contact.
Without wasting any time Don began making calls in an effort to locate the aircraft. He notified Kenan Jaycox at the Southwest Interagency Coordination Center that the icon had turned red and Ken jumped right in and also began making calls in an efforts to locate the airtanker.
Don is commended for his attention to the flight following (AFF) of aircraft, spe- cifically Tanker 42. Both Don and Kenans efforts went above and beyond the stan- Don Sutliff (right) receiving Airward from Ron Hanks, USFS dard protocol. They made the extra effort Chief, Aviation Risk Management and Training Systems (left) to determine what was going on rather than waiting until the aircraft was ex- pected to arrive. Had there been any survivors, the timely actions taken by Don and Kenan may have saved their lives.
Both Don and Kenan performed profes- sionally and calmly in a stressful situa- tion that progressed from the initial ef- forts to locate Tanker 42 through the confirmation of an accident with fatali- ties.
Kenan Jaycox (center) receiving Airward from Jami Anzalone, USFS Region 3 Aviation Safety Manager (left) and Marsha Nice job guys, Thanks for your great Kearney, USFS R-3 Director, Fire & Aviation Management work.
(right)
A Great Listener
Jumper 73, a USFS Redmond Smokejumper Sherpa was holding short of the runway awaiting take off clearance from the tower for a practice jump mission, when they received a call on the Air to Ground fre- quency to return to the ramp.
Brian had heard an abnormal noise coming from the airplane as it was taxiing to the runway and contacted the jump base requesting the aircraft return to the ramp so he could investi- Brian Green (right) receiving Airward from Gary Sterling , gate the source of the noise.
USFS Region 6 Aviation Safety Manager (left) As soon as the aircraft was parked on the ramp Brian pointed to the left engine and gave the shut down signal; followed by the pilots immediately shutting down both engines.
Upon further inspection, Brian found that part of the secondary low blade angle stop sen- sor had broken off and was rattling around in the front part of the cowling causing the noise.
This noise was not apparent to the flight crew or jumpers aboard the airplane. The sec- ondary low blade angle stop sensor had checked OK during the ''first flight of the day run-up checks'' while the aircraft was still on the smokejumper ramp. Brian only heard the noise as the aircraft was taxiing out from the ramp; suggesting that the part failed at the start of the taxi operation.
Brian is recognized for his high level of situational awareness and willingness to act when noticing something out of the normal. Aviation can provide situations that require sound judgment, quick thinking, and skill; and Brian demonstrated all these traits. His professionalism and quick action prevented Jumper 73 from becoming airborne with an unknown maintenance deficiency. SAFECOM 09-0203 Congratulations Brian and thank you for your emphases on Safety!
A Calming Influence
Under the pressure of virtually non-stop operations from the fires in Northern California in 2008 the folks in the cock- pits, on the helibases, and in the ICPs worked hard to keep it all running smoothly and safely. One person who stands out for performing an exemplary job under difficult circumstances was Jordan Reeser, a National Park Service employee, who is normally stationed at Point Reyes National Seashore.
Jordan Reeser (center) receiving Airward from Clay Hillin, Jordan was able to improve morale, NPS Pacific West Regional Aviation Manager (left) and safety and discipline at the helibase he Cicely Muldoon , NPS Pacific West Deputy Regional Direc- was managing. In one case he had to intercede when an air attack and several military helicopters passed over the helibase enroute to a fire without properly establishing radio contact. He realized that there was significant potential for further conflict between those aircraft and the two helicopters from his helibase.
Jordan’s first action was to instruct his radio operator to attempt to contact the intruders.
When that was unsuccessful Jordan made the decision to recall his two helicopters until they were able to establish communication with the intruders. Fortunately, the helicop- ters returned without incident and Jordan followed-up by making phone calls to dispatch to clarify what had happened. Finally, he went over what had happened at the end-of- day debriefing with everyone at the helibase. No egos, just a safety-first learning envi- ronment!
That is just one example. While Jordan was in charge he made sure there were brief- ings every day and a debriefings every evening. Even though he was dealing with mass chaos and nearing the end of his assignment, he maintained his composure and never once lost his temper or compromised safety.
Well done Jordan, clearly you’ve earned the respect of your peers!!!
Aviation Safety Offices http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/av_safety/ - http://amd.nbc.gov/safety/