Extreme weather

Torrential rain pours down on the CSE campsite on Nias Island, Indonesia, where the detachment supported the air crash investigators who examined the wreckage of Shark 02 from HMAS Kanimbla.

Photo provided by FLTLT Tony Fagan

The CSE team deployed to Nias Island from April 11 to May 12.

* The Nias CSE camped 50m from the crash site. Dangers were heat stress and dehydration. Supplies came every 10 days from USNS Tippencanoe.

AIR Force supporting elements faced tough environmental conditions when they deployed to Nias Island, Indonesia, to help the 15-member aircraft accident investigation team (AAIT).

An expeditionary combat support element (CSE), comprising 15 members from No. 381 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron, No. 1 Combat Communications Squadron, No. 3 Combat Support Hospital and Navy’s No. 4 Clearance Diver Team, deployed from April 11 to May 12 to the crash site of the Navy Sea King helicopter. They were based 50m from the site.

OC Flight Lieutenant Tony Fagan from 381ECSS said his team found the environmental conditions at the site were extreme. Heat stress and dehydration were constant dangers.

“It was difficult establishing and maintaining the camp in such extreme weather conditions,” he said.

“We train to be aware of our own limitations and to watch each other for signs of heat stress and dehydration. Despite this, even some of our fittest individuals fell victim to the heat and required medical attention.”

“381ECSS held its annual consolidation training exercise, Night Hawk 05 just two weeks before we deployed. In many ways, it could not have prepared us better for the challenges we were to face on Nias.”

He said the 40-degree heat and the remoteness of the crash site also made the AAIT’s progress uncomfortable and difficult.

“After we arrived, we provided them food and accommodation, and medical, communications and logistical support.
“As we were right at the site, the AAIT were able to use the cooler hours in the morning and evening and concentrate on the job.”

The element’s mission quickly expanded to include the legal counsel assisting the Board of Inquiry and the civil contractors that were engaged to return the crash site to a useable soccer field for the local community.

“Establishing and maintaining these services wasn’t easy as all equipment had to be flown in by heavy-lift helicopter,” he said.

“Helicopters couldn’t drop equipment off directly at the campsite because of the risk to the crash site from rotor wash.

“Instead, we established a landing zone a couple of hundred of metres away and then moved the supplies either by six-wheeled vehicle or by helpful locals who formed human chains.”

Maritime Headquarters organised with the US Navy for the CSE to be resupplied every 10 days. US Navy Sea Hawk helicopters dropped the supplies.

“We dubbed the first supply drop Super Sunday,” FLTLT Fagan said. “Within an hour two heloes from USNS Tippecanoe dropped 53 pallets of equipment, food and water to us. All we could do was stand back and watch the landing zone (LZ) disappear before our eyes.

“When they finished, 100 locals helped us to move the stores into the camp.”

Once the AAIT was confident that all critical evidence had been accounted for, the CSE recovered the aircraft wreckage and boxed it.

“After the wreckage was packed, we organised an airlift of the containers [containing the wreckage] from our LZ back to Sumatra for airlift to Australia,” he said.

“Members performing wreckage recovery and packing had to wear the same personal protective equipment as the AAIT. Strict work-rest cycles were maintained to minimise the potential of personnel suffering heat stress.”

FLTLT Fagan said the deployment was an outstanding success. “It was a great personal experience and demonstrated the benefit of the ECSS concept in an extreme environment.”

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