JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers with G Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, rescued three people from the wreckage of a crashed PA-12 Super Cruiser aircraft partially submerged in glacial ice on a lake about 40 miles southeast of Soldotna March 24.
An HH-60M Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter with AKARNG critical care flight paramedics on board flew from Bryant Army Airfield on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson 25 minutes to the location after receiving a request from the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center March 24.
Initially, the Kenai flight service station issued an alert notification for the overdue aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard launched an HC-130J Super Hercules plane. Good Samaritans flew ahead of the HH-60M, found the crashed plane and relayed its location to the AKARNG en route.
AKARNG Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bradley Jorgensen and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mike Miller piloted the mission and coordinated with the AKRCC and USGC to get a clear picture of the area.
Jorgensen, pilot in command, said the weather, visibility and collaboration were all good throughout the mission.
When the crew arrived, the plan was to hoist the survivors from the wreckage, but it was determined that the maneuver could affect the stability of the submerged aircraft.
With the helicopter in a low hover, crew chief Sgt. 1st Class Bradley Mckenzie communicated with the pilots to incrementally adjust the approach angle to move the survivors off of the aircraft’s wing onto the helicopter.
“En route, we try to identify any potential hazards and analyze all possible outcomes,” Jorgensen said. “We discussed the plan with everyone on board and we were all on the same page.“
Staff Sgts. Matthew Tucker and Steven Gildersleeve, critical care flight paramedics, warmed the survivors and monitored their condition on the flight to Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna.
“We’re very thankful that we were able to execute this successfully because it’s never a sure thing.,” Miller said. “We were extremely relieved that it worked out the way it did. We’re very thankful to be a part of it, but mostly just thankful the survivors were able to get through the night and we wish them a speedy recovery.”