Teamwork Shown As Airmen Respond to Helicopter Crash

>A civil-registered Puma helicopter damaged during supply operations in Afghanistan. Unusually, this helicopter carries no indication of its commercial operator. (US Air Force photo)SOUTHWEST ASIA --- Six Airmen of the 379th Civil Engineer Squadron here used teamwork to recover a helicopter that crashed Dec. 15 at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. The firefighters rushed to the scene and began command and control measures after being notified of the helicopter crash that landed in a ditch between the runway and the helicopter landing zone.>> "The aircraft was positioned at a 30- to 40-degree angle," said Tech. Sgt. Jerome Williams, the fire department assistant chief of operations. "The tail rotor was destroyed and the main rotor was within 10 feet of smashing into the other side of the ditch.">> "We are trained to start scene size-up when we first receive the call," Sergeant Williams said. Sergeant Williams and Airman 1st Class Trevor Williams arrived at the scene first. They took a position to the rear of the helicopter and readied a fire hose. Two other crews arrived and positioned at the front and also prepared for the worst.>> "During this time, I checked the area around the aircraft for hazards and injured personnel," Sergeant Williams said. "I then entered the aircraft with an aircrew member to retrieve the chocks to stabilize the helicopter.">> Medics arrived and treated one of the aircrew members for a minor hand laceration. The responders then began to remove the cargo and fuel from the downed aircraft. "We worked with contractors and the Army's movement control team to remove 4,000 pounds of ammo and transfer the fuel from the helicopter," the firefighter said.