JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — The Alaska Air National Guard rescued three people from a downed aircraft Sept. 13 west of Beluga Mountain, Alaska.
The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center opened the mission after receiving notification around 1:30 p.m. that a 406 emergency locator transmitter had been activated. The Alaska RCC was able to get registration information from the beacon and confirm that it belonged to a Piper Super Cub that took off from Anchorage and was flying near Beluga Mountain.
The Alaska Air National Guard accepted the mission to search for the aircraft in possible distress and launched an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter from the 210th Rescue Squadron with a Guardian Angel team from the 212th Rescue Squadron from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
“The crew flew directly to the coordinates transmitted from the 406, which was approximately 1.2 miles away from the aircraft; they searched for about one minute, located the downed aircraft and rescued the three people who had been onboard,” said Capt. John Romspert, a combat rescue officer and senior controller with the Alaska RCC.
The Guardsmen flew the three people to Providence Medical Center in Anchorage where they were released shortly after 5 p.m. in good condition with no reported injuries.
The 210th and 212th Rescue Squadrons were awarded three saves for this mission.