Squadron Rescue At Greenwood Fly-In!
THE ROLE OF CIVIL AIR PATROL WHEN AN AIR DISASTER STRIKES
 Sunday, October 3, 1999
The skies were clear, the winds were light and conditions appeared ideal for the October 3, 1999 Greenwood Airport Fly-In. Originally designed to showcase the airport's new FBO building complete with a dedication from the Indiana governor, there was no way to anticipate that around 1130 a plane carrying three pilots would fail to land safely, bounce along the runway, skid to a stop in the median grass and burst into flame. Within moments, Civil Air Patrol members, already serving the airport as support for the Fly-In, sprang into action.
The pictures that follow tell the story of the Johnson County Composite Squadron's immediate response to situation. Through efforts of the CAP, injuries to the passengers were minimized, the airport was closed, security at the scene was initiated and the subsequent investigation by the Indiana State Police and FAA officials was enhanced. 

These three Civil Air Patrol senior members along with other senior members and a handful of cadets worked with the Indiana State Police, emergency medical technicians and the FAA to ensure the safety of the three passengers, to secure the site from onlookers and media photographers and to help with the crash investigation. The commander of the Johnson County Composite Squadron, notified the airport authorities to shut down the airport, following the FAA requirement after the hard landing.

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 Two of the senior members pictured and one cadet were the first people on the scene and pulled the three survivors clear of the flaming wreckage before it burst into flames.

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 As eyewitnesses to the crash, CAP members (right) were asked to recount what they saw to the Indiana State Police investigation team (left). Later in the day, they were asked to write a report for the FAA detailing all their observations before, during and after the event to help in the FAA study.

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 Shortly after CAP members pulled the survivors away from the burning debris, the Greenwood Fire Department arrived to put out the flames. Then an ambulance took the passengers to a local hospital for observation. Soon the Indiana State Police arrived and took charge of the site. They roped off a yellow perimeter and assigned Civil Air Patrol senior members and cadets to contain the public and media personnel behind that line. Here three police officers (left) begin their analysis while CAP members (right) assist. The police and CAP awaited the arrival of the FAA investigators.
One of the cadets (shown here) was joined by four other cadets and two other senior members (not shown) in keeping the general public and the media away from the crash site. The event was featured in the local CBS and ABC television affiliates that evening. This photo angle shows where the front passenger sat. frontseat.jpg - 519.3 K
Looking without touching is part of preserving the crash scene. A Civil Air Patrol 1st Lieutenant looks into the cockpit area. The pilot's log book was later recovered, an important find for him. Notice that both of the rear landing gear detached to the left of the plane. This indicates that the skid was to the right.

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 After coming to rest in the field, the fire was primarily under the plane, allowing the three passengers time to leave the fuselage and be helped to safety by the squadron commander, another senior member and a cadet, members of Johnson County Composite Squadron, CAP. Shortly after being pulled out of range, the plane's right wing fuel cell burst into larger flames that burned out even the roof.
Curled propellers indicate that the motor was running at the moment of impact. Gouges in the runway concrete where the plane first hit looked like narrow slices. Farther down the runway the propeller scoops looked broader, as if a spoon had made them, indicating that the propeller continued to spin, and later coiled, during the entire skid.

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 The right wing containing half the plane's fuel completely burned, allowing a view through its support structures. The left wing still held several gallons of fuel untouched by the fire. The passengers are certainly blessed to be able to walk away from such an impact. The Civil Air Patrol was proud to play its role successfully during the accident.
Since the Greenwood Airport Fly-In was supposed to showcase its new FBO building, several dignitaries of the county were present during the crash and response. The Johnson County Emergency Management group was impressed to see the CAP in action. The Johnson County Sheriff Department has offered to train members of the squadron further in emergency response. The commander of the Johnson County Composite Squadron observes, "I am very proud of our members who were there on the scene. We handled ourselves very professionally. We could not have had a better public relations demonstration for the other emergency service groups in Johnson County. The best possible result of this incident occurred: all three passengers walked away with only minor injuries. Now that I see the sequence of events and how they unfold, I would like to conduct some more training within the squadron on First Response reactions." True to the traditions of Civil Air Patrol, the squadron will continue to hone its skills. We must always be ready. Semper Vigilans.

Submitted by: Elaine Rainey, 2Lt,CAP Squadron PAO Officer

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