These THINGS WE DO
High Altitude South American Mission
Extracted from KAMAN Rotor
Tips Jun-Jul 1963
ARS Detachment 52, Charleston AFB, SC which carried
out the highly-successful following mission also claims the honor of being the
first to land a HH-43B aboard ship while assisting in the recovery of the first
MINUTEMAN booster rocket fired
from an underground silo. In earning a 1962 MATS Safety Award, the units 2 HH43B’s were flown 600 hours on
Search & Rescue, Fire Suppression and Training Missions without an
accident. Capt. Herbert A. Lee, the Detachment Commander has logged more than 710
hours in the HUSKIE and Capt. Richard H. Coan who had
set a new “Closed Course Distance Record” in the HH43B (PNL 017
Old Guard) has flown more than
610 hours in the helicopter.
Initial notification
was by Capt. Jones, EARC
at 18:30,
16 Mar 1963.
It was unknown as to where, when, or how we would deploy, but we were to be on
alert. The “Execution Order” was given by LtC. Sauers at 19:30
hours. Notification began immediately and personnel gathered for a short
briefing at 21:00.
Known aspects of the mission were covered and specific tasks were assigned to
individuals.
First indications were LaPaz,
Bolivia
as our destination, with the mission as a search for a DC-6 airliner missing on
a flight between ARICA,
Chile
and LaPaz. As the altitude of LaPaz
was 13,000 feet MSL, preparations for high altitude operations were stressed
and adequate clothing, food and water procured. The disassembly of the
helicopters began at 21:30
by five helicopter mechanics augmented by an additional five base support
personnel allowing both helicopters to be worked on simultaneously. Both
aircraft were fully disassembled by 01:15
and ready for deployment.
Enroute
to South America, we were notified that the crashed airliner had been found,
and we were diverted to TACNA, Peru. This was the closest
town to the crash site. Our mission now changed to the recovery of 41 victims
from the crash site located at 14,700 feet MSL on a steep mountain side located
33 miles Northeast of TACNA.
We arrived at TACNA airport at 06:00
Monday morning. It was a small airport with only one building, the terminal.
The terrain was desolate high desert at 1600 feet elevation and rapidly rising
mountains to the northeast in the direction of the crash site. Navy Captain
C.P. Callahan who was in overall charge of the operation along with LtC Fox, the USAF Liaison Officer, were notified that we
would not be able to get an aircraft airborne in 30 minutes as requested. We
would try to have one aircraft available for an afternoon flight, but that was
as much as could be promised.
Work began immediately
unloading the C-130, with off-loading of the C-124 completed by 09:00.
It was decided to assemble one helicopter at a time so the Maintenance
personnel got started. The early morning cloud layer gradually dissipated and
the temperature began to rise steadily. There were no hoist facilities or work
platforms except for the portable passenger loading stairs, so the rotor shafts
and housings were installed by hand. Helicopter 59-1576 was ready for a
functional check flight (FCF) at 15:00
hours.
The first flight to the
crash site was at 16:40.
Due to air turbulence, a low setting sun which practically prohibited seeing
the intended landing site and a power check with only 2 inches of reserve torque,
it was decided not to land; but instead, return to TACNA. Some adjustments were
made to the engine and flaps and with anticipation we looked forward to our
first flight Tuesday morning.
Meantime, Ground
Parties from Peru,
Chile
and Bolivia
had reached the site on foot. Their progress was very slow due to the high
elevation. In the thin atmosphere, merely to walk requires tremendous effort.
The Ground Party would carry litters from the crash site to the helicopter
landing site over the next two days.
Takeoff was at 08:00
Tuesday morning with the aircraft carrying two passengers, a Doctor and a
Judge, plus food and water for the Ground Party. The engine cowling, sound
protection blankets, clamshell doors and two seat cushions, total weight-107
pounds had been removed from the helicopter and a rear safety net and two
oxygen bottles installed. The fuel load was one thousand pounds, so a power
check was completed and a shallow approach to landing was made. Our initial
passengers wished to remain at the crash site, so we returned to TACNA for two more
passengers and body bags. There was a delay in obtaining the body bags, so by
the time we returned to the landing-site clouds had enveloped the entire area.
A Weather Observation Flight was conducted in the afternoon by the Globe Master
and the Pilot reported the area socked in. This aircraft also flew cover and
communications for all HH43 Recovery flights.
Helicopter 58-1843 was
assembled and functional check flown on Tuesday. Both aircraft would be used on
Wednesday and an early start was planned.
All personnel were at
the aircraft by 05:30
with both birds airborne by 06:00.
The
C-124 cover ship was
already airborne with the Pilot reporting the early morning cloud layer at 1800
feet MSL. We climbed through the clouds and landed at the site. Bodies were
transported to the village of Charana,
Bolivia;
which was located at an elevation of 13,339 feet MSL, 30 miles of the crash
site. Here at the small airport, a Bolivian C-47 delivered fuel from TACNA. Initially, drums of
fuel and a portable pump were delivered to TACNA from Howard AFB in the
Canal Zone.
We removed 18 bodies during the morning, stopping at the site only long enough
to load and at Charana to unload and take on one drum
of fuel each trip.
A noticeable decrease
of crew efficiency was evident after working for five hours at altitudes from
14,000-17,000 feet density altitude. Oxygen from walk-around bottles was used
quite frequently, [we did not have enough for full time use] but the
crewmembers were still bothered by headaches and fatigue. Clouds started to descend
around the site and turbulence increased about 11:30
hours. This plus the afore-mentioned crew condition dictated a halt to
operations and a return to TACNA.
At sunrise on Thursday,
both aircraft were airborne. The solid overcast again was present and an
instrument climb through the 1,500 layer was made. Heading to the site, we
again resumed the grim task of evacuating bodies, this time to a very small
mining town in Chile.
Villa Industrial at 14,000 feet was only 10 miles from the crash site.
This shorter shuttle
expedited our operation and 15 sorties were flown in rapid succession. No
refueling was need until the return trip to TACNA after 24 bodies and 13
exhausted Officials and Rescue workers were removed from the site. With our
mission completed, we departed Villa Industrial for TACNA where no sooner had
the engines coasted down, than Maintenance Personnel started disassembling the
aircraft. One aircraft was disassembled in four hours with the second completed
in two hours the following morning. After loading the C-130 and C-124, we
departed TACNA
for home at 15:00
hours, 22
March 1963, satisfied in our minds with what we
think was a “Job Well Done”. This was definitely a
Team Effort with each individual contributing 110% in a truly professional
manner.
Det52 EARC personnel
(RCP) Capt. Herbert A. Lee [DetCo]
(RCP) Capt. Richard H. Coan
(RCCP) Capt. Waino
E. Arvo
(RCCP) Capt. David J. Frazier
(RCCP) 1Lt Larry D. Salmans
(Maint. NCOIC) SSGt.
Charlie A. Montgomery Jr.
(HM) SSGt.
Larry K. Henderson
(HM) A1C Lenzy
M. Autry
(HM) A2C Jimmy R. Lewis
(EM) A2C Allen A. Eggleston
(HM) A3C Charles J. Gibbons
1608 Communications Electronic Maintenance SQD
A1C Ronald B. Hunter – Aircraft Radio Repairman
A1C Weldon W. Sellers – Aircraft Electrican
A1C Lee R. McLeon – Instrument Repairman
A1C Frank A. Prouty – Jet Engine Mechanic