Rescue Pilot: "We Did Everything Right"
It's great when a plan comes
together. Personnel from the Naval Air Station Pensacola (NASP)
Helicopter Support Unit (HSU) aboard the station's Rescue 400 UH-3H
Sea King rendered assistance May 21 to a downed Air Force F-15C
Eagle pilot.
The fighter jet crashed before noon along the Florida Panhandle,
20 nautical miles southeast of Carrabelle Thompson. The pilot, Lt.
Col. Patrick Marshall, successfully ejected without sustaining
serious injuries.
The NASP Rescue 400 crew received the call for help at 12:30
p.m., and 15 minutes later was airborne en route to the scene some
150 miles away, where other emergency rescue personnel were
present.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC)
patrol boat near the St. George Island Coast was on scene to rescue
Marshall. Also on scene circling above were two F-15s, a Coast
Guard Falcon jet and a Coast Guard C-130.
"The whole evolution went unscathed," said pilot Cmdr. Michael
Holdener. "We did everything right. We evaluated all the
information and were ahead of the whole game. We went there and
checked out what they (the on-scene commander) wanted us to
do."
Holdener said the hour-and-10-minute flight there gave them
plenty of time to plan for their mission, which was landing pier
side near the FFWCC boat to retrieve the pilot, perform a quick
medical evaluation, and then transport him to the Tyndall Air Force
Base for a thorough medical check-up.
Although the NASP HSU Rescue team, who are known as quick
responders from call to launch, weren’t the first on-scene
responders, they traveled the distance to MEDEVAC Marshall and
reunite him with family. This entailed flying at a ground speed of
about 135-136 mph (with tail wind), climbing up to 500 feet and
accessing communication frequencies to discover information
pertaining to the downed pilot.
"I was stoked that everything went off without a hitch," said
rescue swimmer Aviation Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Anthony
Robinson, whose rescue swimming services weren’t needed.
"I’ve done plenty of MEDEVACs, but this was my first rescue
attempt. I’m so glad that he’s in good condition and is
alive."
Once NASP Rescue 400 landed, Marshall was greeted by applauding
squadron members, and hugged by his wife and child.
The F-15C was assigned to the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air
Force Base, near Panama City.
(ANN salutes Sheri L. Crowe, Naval Air Station Pensacola
Public Affairs)