Guardians,
Today closes a week in which we conducted family notifications, congressional outreach and media engagement regarding the conclusion of our Administrative and MISHAP (Safety) Investigations into the loss of the crew aboard Coast Guard helicopter 6505 on September 4, 2008.
CAPT Thomas Nelson, LCDR Andrew Wischmeier, AMT1 Joshua Nichols and AST1 David Skimin made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our Nation. Please remember these fine Guardians and keep their families and friends in your thoughts.
The ALCOAST below provides a summary of the incident and announces the public release of our final action documents, including findings and directed actions, to learn from and prevent this type of tragedy in the future. These documents are available in the FOIA Reading Room at: http://www.uscg.mil/foia/reading-room.asp
ADM A
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-00//
TO ALCOAST
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UNCLAS //N03750//
ALCOAST 697/09
COMDTNOTE 3750
SUBJ: RELEASE OF THE FINAL ACTION MEMO (FAM) FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION AND THE FINAL DECISION LETTER (FDL) FOR THE MISHAP (SAFETY) INVESTIGATION FOR THE COAST GUARD AIR STATION BARBERS POINT CLASS "A" AVIATION INCIDENT INVOLVING HH-65C CGNR 6505 ON 04 SEP 2008
1. SYNOPSIS. AT 2011 (HST) ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 2008, AIR STATION BARBERS POINT COAST GUARD HELICOPTER NUMBER (CGNR) 6505 WAS TAKING PART IN A NIGHT HOISTING TRAINING EVOLUTION WITH STATION HONOLULU MOTOR LIFE BOAT (MLB) 47317 APPROXIMATELY SIX MILES SOUTH OF HONOLULU, HI. CGNR 6505 WAS CARRYING 4 PEOPLE: TWO PILOTS, ONE FLIGHT MECHANIC AND ONE RESCUE SWIMMER. CG 47317 HAD FOUR PEOPLE ONBOARD: ONE COXSWAIN, ONE CREWMEMBER / BREAK-IN COXSWAIN, ONE ENGINEER AND ONE BREAK-IN CREWMEMBER. CGNR 6505 WAS IN THE RECOVERY PHASE OF A HOIST FOLLOWING A STANDARD DELIVERY OF THE RESCUE BASKET WITH TRAIL LINE TO THE MLB WHEN THE MISHAP OCCURRED. AS THE HELICOPTER MANEUVERED OVERHEAD, IT DESCENDED AS THE MLB ROSE ON A SWELL. THE RELATIVE MOTION CREATED EXCESS SLACK IN THE HOIST CABLE. DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF THE ATTENDING MLB CREWMEMBER, THE EXCESS CABLE ENTANGLED ON THE MLB ENGINE ROOM DEWATERING STANDPIPE ON THE AFT BUOYANCY CHAMBERS FORWARD FACE. AS THE MLB RODE DOWN THE SWELL AND THE HELICOPTER MANEUVERED TO REGAIN ALTITUDE, THE CABLE BECAME TAUT, PHYSICALLY PULLED THE HELICOPTER DOWN TO THE RIGHT AND THEN PARTED UNDER TENSION AT THE ENGINE ROOM DEWATERING STANDPIPE. THE CABLE PARTING INDUCED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERY (EXTREME YAW TO THE LEFT), DURING WHICH THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE HOIST BOOM ASSEMBLY. THIS CREATED A SIGNIFICANT OUT OF BALANCE CONDITION THAT CAUSED SEVERE VIBRATIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. THE MAIN GEARBOX SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS ALSO COMPROMISED AT THIS POINT FROM THE FORCES OF EXTREME DYNAMIC LOADING. DESPITE THE SEVERE VIBRATIONS, THE AIRCREW RECOVERED FROM THE UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, AND IN THE PROCESS, FLEW AWAY FROM THE WATER. THEY ALSO MADE SEVERAL MAYDAY CALLS THAT WERE OVERHEARD BY THE MLB CREW, SECTOR HONOLULU, AND HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER. APPROXIMATELY THREE MINUTES LATER, THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME WAS COMPOUNDED BY DETERIORATION OF COMPONENTS OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM, FURTHER DEGRADING THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE HELICOPTER. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CONTROLLED FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AND 40 KTS AND ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT TO THE SURFACE. ALL FOUR PEOPLE ONBOARD CGNR 6505 WERE KILLED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST. NO INJURIES TO THE MLB CREW OR DAMAGE TO THE MLB OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS MISHAP.
2. THE RELEASE OF THE FAM AND THE FDL SIGNALS THE COMPLETION OF RIGOROUS ADMINISTRATIVE AND MISHAP (SAFETY) INVESTIGATIONS, ANALYSIS AND HIGH LEVEL REVIEW OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH LED TO THE LOSS OF CGNR 6505 AND CREW ON 04 SEP 2008. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION WAS TO MAKE FINDINGS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION UPON WHICH TO BASE DECISIONS AND TAKE ACTION.
THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE MISHAP INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSAL FACTORS AND UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THEM.
BOTH THE FAM AND THE FDL SUMMARIZE ACTIONS TAKEN SINCE THE ACCIDENT AND TASK VARIOUS COAST GUARD PROGRAMS WITH REQUIRED ACTIONS TO IDENTIFY/AVOID SIMILAR HAZARDS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES IN THE FUTURE. ALL MEMBERS OF THE COAST GUARD ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE FAM AND THE FDL POSTED IN THE FOIA READING ROOM AT:(HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/FOIA/READING-ROOM.ASP).
3. CAPT THOMAS NELSON, LCDR ANDREW WISCHMEIER, AMT1 JOSHUA NICHOLS, AND AST1 DAVID SKIMIN MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE WHILE SERVING OUR NATION. IT IS UP TO ALL GUARDIANS TO REFLECT ON OUR LOSS, TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT WE ACT ON WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED, AND TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF TRAGEDY IN THE FUTURE.
4. ADMIRAL T. W. ALLEN, COMMANDANT, SENDS.
5. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.
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