Satellite messenger aids rescue of three from Cessna 180 crash in Alaska

Three occupants of a Cessna 180 were rescued after an accident on Aug. 18 near Bettles, Alaska, about 200 miles northwest of Fairbanks, according to the Alaska Air National Guard.

The Alaska Rescue Coordination Center launched the mission after picking up a signal from the aircraft's 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter and asked the 176th Wing for help. An HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter from the 210th Rescue Squadron Detachment 1 left Eielson Air Force Base with pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron aboard.

While en route, the crew received updated coordinates from a commercial two-way satellite communication device carried by the plane's occupants. That location had been sent to a lodge owner in Bettles, who passed it on to rescuers.

According to Maj. Tyler Seibold, a pilot with the 210th Rescue Squadron, the device narrowed the search area considerably. He said such devices can sometimes pinpoint a location to within about a tenth of a mile, whereas an ELT signal alone can leave a search area a mile or more across.

Once at the site, the helicopter crew lowered pararescuemen near the occupants to limit exposure to rotor wash. One occupant was placed in a Stokes litter and hoisted into the helicopter, followed by the other two. All three were flown to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

Seibold also noted that some satellite devices can exchange text messages with a paired smartphone, letting rescuers learn about survivors' conditions and site conditions before arrival.