Goal of ICAO
The goal of ICAO and IMO is to provide an effective worldwide system, so that wherever people may be in danger, in the air or at sea, SAR services, as referenced in the international aeronautical and maritime search and rescue manual, will be available if needed.
Responsibilities of JRCC Australia
- Coordinating SAR in respect to civil registered aircraft
- Coordinating maritime SAR for persons on or from a vessel at sea (jointly with police)
- Managing the Australian Mission Control Centre (AUMCC) for the COSPAS-SARSAT distress beacon locating system
- Operation of the Modernised Australian Ship Tracking and Reporting System (MASTREP)
- Promulgation of Maritime Safety Information
- Provision of information on maritime activities such as oil pollution, offshore mineral exploration and dumping at sea
- Providing assistance to other Australian SAR agencies to fulfil their obligations in regard to SAR
The Australian SRR
The Australian SAR Region. Maritime SRR only extends to the Antarctic coast whilst the aviation SRR extends to the South Pole and there is a minor difference in the North East corner of the SRR.
Handover of SAR responsibility to JRCC and HQJOC
- ALR form (email and fax). Must send “urgent SAR message form”
- The ATC role as the alerting post will require that information be passed to JRCC Australia or HQJOC, so that those organisations can fulfil their role in SAR
- Verbal handover: by the ATSO with operational command authority stating: “request JRCC Australian (or HQJOC) accepts responsiblitiy for SAR action on [aircraft callsign]” and receives the response: “JRCC Australia (or HQJOC) accepts SAR responsibility for [aircraft callsign]
ATS responsibilities for SAR alerting
- Overdue aicraft following the completion of communication checks,
- Imminent or known aircraft crashes,
- Missing aircraft,
- Distress beacon interceptions by ATS units or reported by aircraft,
- All emergency phases declared by aircraft where continued safety of flight is in doubt
- Assistance with the provision of aeronautical communications services for aircraft engaged in SAR operations
Emergency Phase Amendment (Upgrading)
You may upgrade a phase on an aircraft when made aware of additional factors that warrant greater apprehension
Emergency Phase Amendment (Downgrading)
If the emergency situation of an aircraft subject to an alert or distress phase has been relieved, but not to the extent that normal operations have been resumed, the unit responsible for the phase action may downgrade the alert or distress phase to whichever lesser phase is considered appropriate
Emergency Phase Amendment (Cancellation)
If an aircraft subject to an emergency phase has resumed normal operations or is known to have landed safely, the unit responsible for the phase action cancels the phase and advises other relevant units and agencies involved
JRCC Responsibilities
- Providing ditching forecasts as requested
- Advising positions of ships in hte area of potential ditching and providing local weather conditions
- Providing or coordinating marine craft assistance for aircraft over water
- Providing access to SAR database information
- Providing general assistance and resources
Commence communications checks when a pilot fails to do what?
How should these comms checks be conducted?
(MATS 4.2.3.4)
- Report by a SARTIME
- Submit a report by the prescribed time
- Acknowledge a call initiated by the ground station
Procedures:
- Attempt to contact the pilot direct by calling on the normal and alternate frequencies, reporting the calls with discretion
- Attempt to contact the aircraft through another pilot in VHF or HF range
- Ascertain whether the report has been received by another unit
- Arrange for other ground units to call the pilot on normal and alternative frequencies. A unit instructed to call a pilot notifies the originating unit if contact is not established within a period of five minutes
Phase definitions
INCERFA: uncertainty exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants
ALERFA: apprehension exists as to the safety of an aircraft and its occupants
DETRESFA: there is reasonable certainty that an aircraft and its occupants are threatened by grave and imminent danger and require immediate assistance
Squawk codes for pilots and confirmation phrase
7500 - unlawful interference
7600 - aircraft radio communications failure
7700 - general emergency
For 7500 and 7700, request confirmation of the emergency code by use of the phrase “[callsign] confirm squawking assigned code”
Regard failure to respond to these requests as positive evidence of an emergency which may also involve radio failure and/or partial electrical failure
Beacon period and what phrase is declared
Beacon has been activated for a period greater than 10 seconds
Declare distress phase immediately
Beacon frequency
Civil - 121.5 (VHF)
Military - 243.0 (UHF)
Digital Beacon - 406 (UHF)
Distress beacon signals, phase reporting
Declare a distress phase for a beacon report in excess of 10 seconds
Initial advice to JRCC Australia must detail:
- Position
- Route
- Height
- Time signal was first received
- Description of signal characteristics
Providing information to relevant authorities, restrict subsequent advice to pilots
Restrict any subsequent advice to the pilot relating to the difficulty to that authorised by the operating agency, and prefix the information with the phrase YOUR COMPANY ADVISES
Providing information to relevant authorities, and Informing pilot of alert or distress phase
When an alert or distress phase is declard and pilot and ATS workloads permit, the pilot should be informed. If necessary, this notification may be made via the operations branch of the operating agency.
Pilot doesn’t need to be informed for INCERFA
