U.S. Air Force Rescues All 11 from Ditched King Air

U.S. Air Force Reserve crews rescued all 11 occupants of a Beechcraft King Air 300 that ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s east coast on Tuesday morning reportedly following an engine failure.

The 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, recovered the 11 adults from life rafts approximately five hours after the aircraft went down during a flight from Leonard M. Thompson International Airport (formerly Marsh Harbour International), Bahamas (MYAM), to Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF). The aircraft, registered HP-1859 in Panama, departed Marsh Harbour before the pilot declared an emergency, and communication was lost with air traffic control. An emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal alerted U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders in Florida around 11 a.m. local time.

Pararescue personnel aboard a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter completed nine hoists in three- to five-foot seas, finishing the recovery with only five minutes remaining before reaching bingo fuel, the minimum required to return to shore. Crews located the survivors shortly after beginning search operations and dropped an MA-1 survival kit containing two additional life rafts, food, water, and survival tools.

“The 11 survivors were then divided into their raft and then the two rescue rafts that we dropped to them,” said Elizabeth Piowaty, the HC-130J aircraft commander. “As a fixed-wing pilot, we train to that…I’ve not known anyone to survive a ditching in the ocean. For all those people to survive is pretty miraculous.”

A 920th Rescue Wing HH-60W crew, already airborne for training, was redirected to assist. Matt Johnson, the helicopter aircraft commander, said crews developed extraction plans while dodging thunderstorms en route. An HC-130J Combat King II crew assisted with the efforts. The rescue marked the first for the 920th Rescue Wing with its new HH-60W fleet, according to Johnson.

Rory Whipple, captain and a combat rescue officer with the pararescue team, jumped into the water with two other pararescuemen to assess survivors. “For the individuals in the water, they had already been in the raft for about five hours, and you could tell just by looking at them that they were in distress, physically, mentally and emotionally,” he said.

Pararescuemen are elite Air Force special operations forces trained in trauma medicine, combat tactics, and survival. Whipple said dehydration posed the biggest threat and survivors had no communication until rescue aircraft arrived. The crew transported all survivors to Melbourne Orlando International Airport (KMLB). Three people suffered injuries, according to news reports.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater C-27 Spartan crew also assisted in locating the downed aircraft and life raft.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority of the Bahamas said in a release that it does not intend to investigate based on the occurrence location. The authority notified Panama, the state of registry, and the U.S. The AAIA noted the investigating authority has not been determined.

Federal regulations under FAR 91.509 require aircraft operating more than 50 nm from shore to carry life preservers or flotation means for each occupant. Operations more than 100 nm from shore require life preservers with survivor locator lights, life rafts with sufficient capacity, pyrotechnic signaling devices, a portable emergency radio, and survival kits.

Historical data from a 1986 study of U.S. civil aviation ditchings between 1979 and 1983 found that 16% of 214 ditchings resulted in fatalities, while 77% resulted in minor or no injuries. The study found 86% of ditchings were caused by engine failure and concluded that “with flotation gear aboard, ditching of light airplanes is a relatively safe procedure.”