Radar unit helps rescue glider crash victims Published Dec. 8, 2005 By Vivian Wilson Western Air Defense Sector Public Affairs MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. (AFPN) -- Radar analysis provided by the 84th Radar Evaluation Squadron at the Western Air Defense Sector here helped in the rescue of two people crash landed their glider in remote southern California mountains. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter rescued the instructor pilot and a student Dec. 4, less than two miles from their last radar sighting, said the squadron’s John Henderson. The two had no major injuries, although they did suffer from an overnight stay in sub-freezing weather. "Their sailplane had been towed to an altitude of 9,300 feet before being released in the area of Mt. Baden Powell in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California," said Mr. Henderson. He provided the radar information to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base, Va. The expected one-hour local flight to an airport just 10 miles away became a crash landing and overnight stay when the glider flew into an area with no lift. The pilot crashed the sailplane in 8-foot-deep scrub brush Dec. 3. The pilot and passenger stayed with the aircraft through the night. A California Civil Air Patrol air crew spotted the aircraft around 7:30 a.m. the next day. Then the sheriff's department helicopter made the rescue. Mr. Henderson used radar data to pinpoint the aircraft's last known location, speed, heading and altitude. From that, he determined the likely crash site. He passed the data to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, which forwarded the information to the California Civil Air Patrol. The Colorado Civil Air Patrol also assisted with radar analysis. "We're grateful to the assistance provided by the 84th RADES," said Capt. Bob Keilholtz of the Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. "Without an active distress beacon signal -- or any other hard data on the aircraft's last known position -- having access to this radar data enabled us to cut response times by focusing the search on the most likely position where they could have landed." Mr. Henderson has been with the squadron since 1999, and has personally been involved in saving 11 lives by finding air crash sites. "Our goal -- first and foremost -- is to save lives," Mr. Henderson said. Mr. Henderson is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating and has extensive experience with the Civil Air Patrol. "Authorities have used our data exclusively to locate more than 50 aircraft over the past few years," he said. The squadron’s work ties in closely with the Western Air Defense Sector's mission of "guarding America's western skies." The sector is one of three supporting North American Aerospace Defense Command in America's air defense.