C-130 Guided Russian Fishing Boat To Recover Downed Crew

As they say, better late than never... a former Coast Guard flight engineer has finally received due recognition for his role in a 1978 rescue operation in Alaska.

Daryl Horning was onboard a C-130 one night in October 1978, flying back to Kodiak after an enforcement mission. They were almost home... when the plane's crew received word a Navy P-3 Orion had gone down nearby. The Navy crew had been forced to ditch their plane in the frigid North Pacific after an engine fire.

Already past their eight hour duty day, the C-130 crew made a fast fuel stop, before taking off once more to assist in search and rescue efforts. The crew overcame the lousy weather, and even a language barrier, to guide a Russian fishing boat to where the 10 surviving members of the Orion's original crew of 15 floated in the near-freezing waters.

"It's pretty amazing. There are 10 people living on the earth today because of what you did," said Captain Andrew Berghorn, current commander of Air Station Kodiak, at a ceremony last week.

The fishing vessel recovered the downed airmen... and took them back to the Soviet Union. They stayed as "guests" of the Communist state for two weeks, until diplomatic efforts succeeded in bringing them home, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

In addition to his duties as flight engineer, Horning -- now 57 -- also worked as a dropmaster.

In awarding Horning the air medal for meritorious service, the Coast Guard notes it was his fuel calculations that allowed the C-130 to remain on station, and lead the fishing boat to the crash site. After the 23-hour-long mission, the plane safely landed in Adak... with about 2,000 pounds of fuel left.

That last landing would pose as much danger to the crew as the rescue flight had. The winds were so strong at Adak, Horning recalled, that as the crew refueled their faithful C-130 after the mission... they threatened to lift the C-130 off the runway.

"The turbulence was pretty bad, but we didn't have much choice so we went for it. There were an awful lot of 'low fuel' lights on that instrument panel."

"It was a memorable night, and a long one, that's for sure," Horning said.

FMI: www.uscg.mil/d17/cgaskodiak/