8 Flashcards
Survival depends on two basic factors:
- The Will to Survive – It is not automatic. Some people have a greater survival instinct than others. Discomfort despair and deprivation may cause some people to give up more easily than others, and
- Knowledge - in the correct use of survival aids and the understanding of the efforts of the search
and rescue services. Knowledge acquired through training builds confidence.
The best advice is to stay with the aircraft and await rescue.
Most rescues have been made when survivors remained with the aircraft.
Advantages of staying with the aircraft are:
- The aircraft is easier to spot,
- The aircraft or parts may provide shelter, and
- Signaling aids and other equipment may be available.
The success of the search and rescue operations will largely depend on a prompt and accurate distress report to the __. They will then evaluate the situation and decide on the best course of action.
Rescue Co-ordination Center (RCC)
The RCC will then activate the ___ The services available to the RCC will be used in a manner so as to ensure the recovery of survivors on the best condition. It is imperative to locate, reach and rescue in the shortest possible time as the saving of human lives is of prime importance and has priority over any other mission.
Search and Rescue (SAR) Service.
When the Air Traffic Control (ATC) has reason to believe that an aircraft is in a state of emergency it will alert the responsible RCC.
The RCC will direct search operations until all survivors are found and rescued or until all hope of survival has passed in which case the search will be continued for the wreckage.
The following are some examples on internationally Ground to Air Distress signal to be used. They should be formed in open terrain where they will be visible.
They should be at least 2.5 metres (8 feet) long and made as conspicuous as possible. Rocks, branches, trees, strips of fabric, grass pads or trodden paths in the snow can be used.
REQUIRE ASSISTANCE
V
REQUIRE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
X
NO or NEGATIVE
N
YES or AFFIRMATIVE
Y
PROCEEDING IN THIS DIRECTION
→
A study of survival case histories has proved that whether the environment is arctic, desert, jungle or sea action must be taken in an order of priorities.
These priorities are:
- Protection,
- Location,
- Water, and
- Food.
Immediate steps must be taken by the survivor to protect himself from the adverse effects of thier environment, i.e. water, the chilling effect of wind on wet clothing and extremes of temperature. This must take absolute priority over all other considerations. In order to function properly the body must be protected against extremes of heat or cold and the adverse effects of injury and shock.
Protection
The survivor must next check and prepare all signaling gear, including pyrotechnics and survival beacons and have them ready for immediate use in order to facilitate early location by rescue craft. It is vital to ensure search and rescue services can locate the landing or ditching site.
Location
It is of much greater importance to the survivor than food. Rationing must be instituted at once. Take stock of emergency supplies of water and keep them for an emergency. Survival without water can vary between __ in a very hot climate to approx. __ in a cold climate. All possible sources of water must be explored. The aircraft galley may be able to provide initial sources. DO NOT DRINK SEA WATER.
Water
3 days
11 days
Check on rations available, remembering that __should not be eaten unless there is sufficient water available for its metabolism and that proteins require more water than carbohydrates. It is possible to survive weeks without food. __would probably have no permanent ill effects and many people have survived much longer. Food requires water to aid digestion. Sea fish require a lot of water to digest.
food
Two or three weeks
SURVIVAL ON LAND
Immediate Actions After Evacuation
- Move the survivors UPWIND to a safe location taking all the survival equipment, which has been removed,
- When the danger of fire has passed re-enter the aircraft and remove any other items, which may be useful, and
- Attend to the injured and shelter them first.
SURVIVAL ON LAND
Plan of Action
When the situation has stabilised make a plan of action remembering the principles of survival. Allocate duties to keep as many people as possible occupied:
- Nursing the injured,
- Improving and building shelters from whatever materials are available,
- Log keeping. A diary of events including a list of survivor’s names,
- Watch keeping. This can be allocated on a 24 hour system,
- Division and inventory of supplies and equipment,
- Setting out signal panels and preparing signal fires, and
- Domestic duties.
SURVIVAL ON LAND
Location
- The ELT is the main aid to location. Set only one in operation as soon as possible,
- Use day/night flares only when it is known that a search party or aircraft is in the area,
- Prepare signal fires - if possible three fires to form a triangle -the International Distress Signal - light
all three only when it is known that a search aircraft is in the area, and - Ensure that those on watch use a signaling mirror to scan the horizon regularly throughout the
daylight hours. If none are available they can be improvised from aircraft panels.
Water
- Do not consume any water for the first 24 hours. This will allow a slight negative balance of water in the body to develop,
- Water remaining in the aircraft system can be drained and stored in lifejackets - cut a portion off the top of a LJ and fill it through the opening,
- In warm humid climates dew will form during the night on metal panels laid on the ground, e.g. engine cowlings are ideal, and
- Water can be found by digging down under the roots of vegetation and at the bottom of a dried-up stream. Any water collected in this way or collected from active streams and pools should be boiled or treated with purifying tablets if available.
flyadeal aircraft are equipped with __which can be detached from the aircraft and used as floatation devices in a ditching situation.
slides
In addition each passenger and crew seat is equipped with an__
individual floatation device.
The safest thing to do incase of a ditching situation is to
move away from the aircraft and group passengers with the individual floatation device completely inflated. The survivors should all join up in a circle and get as far away from the aircraft as possible. As the circles are formed survivors must tie themselves to each other’s life jacket using the spare length of the waistbands.
It should be tied to one person to prevent it from floating away.
ELT
NEVER RE-ENTER A__ UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
DITCHED AIRCRAFT