Malmstrom's 40th Helicopter Squadron rescues injured climber

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Justin Brockhoff
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs Office
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  A UH-1N "Huey" helicopter crew assigned to the 40th Helicopter Squadron from Malmstrom Air Force Base, rescued an injured hiker just after midnight Monday near Big Timber, Mont., in the Beartooth wilderness area.

The rescue, executed at approximately 8,000 feet, raises the unit's total number of saves to 372 and marks its third rescue in 2008.

The crew consisted of four members, including Capt. Abbe Cochrane, aircraft commander/pilot; Capt. Chris McCarthy co-pilot; Airman 1st Class Kyle Meck, flight engineer; and Dr. (Capt.) Mitchell Parrish, flight surgeon.

Low moonlight, high temperatures, the rescue location's altitude and distance from the nearest refueling area were the main factors adding to the complexity of the mission, according to Captain Cochrane, who has more than 720 hours in the UH-1.

"We discussed power and fuel options constantly in order to make sure the helicopter would be able to perform as needed," she added. "Everything had to be near perfect in order to get the best performance out of the helicopter and keep the mission safe."

Performing during a night rescue requires a crew to constantly reassess their situational awareness and monitor aircraft power and weight levels, added Captain McCarthy, who was credited with his second search and rescue save Monday.

"It took us an hour of flight-time to get to the location and once in the area we had to act quickly while keeping safety in mind," he said. "From start to finish, we had about 15 minutes to insert the flight doc, hoist the patient back into the aircraft, and then hoist the doc back into the aircraft before we had to proceed to the hospital."

Once safely secured in the aircraft by Airman Meck, the patient remained under the crew's care until they delivered him to a local hospital in Billings, Mont.

There are eight Bell UH-1N "Hueys" assigned to the 40th HS. Each aircraft can carry up to 13 people, has a range of more than 300 miles and can weigh up to 10,500 pounds. Malmstrom's UH-1N is frequently called on by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center because their hoist capability is the only one of its kind in the state of Montana.

The squadron's last save was May 25 when a Malmstrom crew rescued a man who sustained injuries while rafting on Montana's Dearborn River.

Editors Note: The 40th HS was also credited with a rescue assist Wednesday afternoon when a UH-1N crew transported an injured firefighter from Neihart, Mont., to the Benefis hospital in Great Falls.

The crew consisted of Capt. John Parrish, aircraft commander/pilot; Maj. Kurt Geisen co-pilot; Senior Airman Michael Frank, flight engineer; and Capt. Holli Bellusci, flight nurse.