Distress & Diversion Cell LATCC Mil, Swanwick Centre,Hampshire
Scope The role of D&D Equipment available General emergency examples PLBs/ELTs/How to help us Overdue/Tracing action Questions
The Role of D&D Provide & maintain within London FIR: Emergency & fixer service U/VHF Search & rescue alerting service Facilities for practising emergencies pilots & controllers Up-to-date info: weathers, airfields, RPS Admin tasks: TDAs, Royal Flts..
Home of D&D En-route Centre, Swanwick, Southampton
Area of responsibility D&D have executive control over all emergencies in England & Wales 55N ScATCC above 55 deg N Excludes N Ireland & Eire
Equipment to fulfil roles EAG Radar Wing Board Comms Auto-T
Replay Frequencies Blue buttons direct dial lines
Comms-VCCS Direct dial lines for airfields & agencies Large dial lists for farm strips Instantaneous replay of voice Use of 243.0/121.5/245.1 Back up comms stand alone system
Direction Finding 18 UHF DF sites 16 VHF DF sites 12 PETF DF sites Separate DF sites and radio transmitters VHF coverage: 2000 40nm radius Heathrow 3000 S&E of Manchester DF is main method to find aircraft position, also used with radar
OE GM SC SL MC TO
DT XT
OE GM SC SL MC TO
DT XT
OE GM SC SL MC TO
7000 3305 021
DT XT
OE GM SC SL MC TO
DT XT
Emergencies How D&D are involved Aircraft calls on frequency 121.5/243.0 Mhz (OPERATIONAL CONTROL) Informed by: (EXECUTIVE CONTROL) Another unit FIR, Terminal ATC etc. Civilian emergency services Member of public ARCC Another aircraft reporting
Emergencies D&D Actions Airborne provide as much assistance as possible: fix position, give airfield status, steers to airfield Aircraft crash obtain as much information, radar replay to fix last known position All emergencies ARCC are alerted SAR services managed by ARCC, co-ordinate with emergency services D&D act as information hub and provide as much assistance as possible
Coastguard RAF Nimrod MR2 RAF Sea King ARCC, Kinloss RN Sea King RAF Mountain Rescue Teams http://www.ukmcc.co.uk/ http://www.kinlossrescue.com/index.htm
SAR Assets - Helicopters 15 mins standby-core hours 45 mins standby-out of hours Valley Chivenor Culdrose Leconfield Wattisham Portland & Lee-On-Solent
Radar Replay Available in 5 mins Can manipulate at will Radar replays utilised to trace lost aircraft where they faded from radar
Emergency Examples Morane Saulnier Rally 235E, Leominster, Herefordshire 24 Aug 06
Emergency Examples Cessna Citation 500, Farnborough (near Biggin Hill), Kent 30 Mar 08
Emergency Stats Graph showing frequency and type of incidents dealt with by D&D (period Jan-Aug 08) 1200 1000 800 Frequency 600 400 200 0 47 11 36 77 368 381 980 1026 Crashes Mayday Mil Mayday Civil MRF Pan Mil Pan Civil Practice Pans TF
PLBs/ELTs Personal Locator Beacon and Emergency Locator transmitter Tone on 121.5 and 243.0MHz activated when pilot crashes or ejects DF trace - information passed to MCC Kinloss 406MHz automatically picked up by satellite As of Feb 2009, tracking of 121.5/243.0 PLBs will not be possible move to digital information and 406MHz
How you can help us Submit VFR flight plans registerwww.flightplanningonline.co.uk If you divert into a different aerodrome to originally notified please inform the destination aerodrome or us avoid tracing action If you accidently set off your ELT whilst flying, call on 121.5 to inform us If in any doubt as to your position or in any difficulties, call 121.5 as soon as you experience problems do not let it escalate Careful changing squawks cycling through 7700-7000 transponder to standby
Overdue/Tracing Action Contact from Destination Airfield Confirm the Aircraft Departed as planned Contact Lars units in the area Transmit on 243.0/121.5 Request News
Summary Emergency & fixer service U/VHF Search & rescue alerting service Facilities for practising emergencies pilots & controllers Alert the ARCC of all emergencies, ELT/PLB reports - MCC If lost, call 121.5, do not delay!
Any Questions? D&D is always willing to accept visits from either military or civil users. Contact: Tel 01489 612406 or in writing to: OC D&D (Box13) Swanwick Mil Sopwith Way Swanwick Hampshire S031 7AY or email: d&d.mil@nats.co.uk