9.12 Aircraft Crash

Patrol Area Closure and Evacuation
Aircraft crash incidents may require emergency patrol area closure, evacuation of swimmers or beach users, establishment of exclusion zones, and suspension of supervised swimming operations. General patrol area closure and evacuation procedures are detailed within SOP 9.1 – Emergency Patrol Area Closure and Evacuation .
Critical Incident Debriefing and Welfare Support
Aircraft crash incidents may involve traumatic scenes, serious injury, fatalities, fire, or mass casualty operations. Operational debriefing, peer support, and member welfare considerations should be undertaken following any significant aircraft incident. Critical incident debriefing processes are detailed within SOP 15.2 – Critical Incident Debriefing . Members should also be reminded that confidential welfare and psychological support services, including the Critical Incident Support Line, are available in accordance with SOP 15.3 – Critical Incident Support Services .

Purpose

To provide operational guidance for SLS response and support activities during aircraft crash or ditching incidents.

Overview

Lifesaving services may be requested to assist following an aircraft crash or aircraft emergency along the South Australian coastline.

Aircraft incidents may involve:

  • Water ditching,
  • Beach or dune impact,
  • Cliff or rocky shoreline collision,
  • Building or infrastructure impact,
  • Small recreational aircraft,
  • Helicopters,
  • Large passenger aircraft, or
  • Military aircraft.

Large aircraft incidents may involve mass casualty management, extensive debris fields, multiple agencies, and significant exclusion zones.

Small aircraft or helicopter incidents may involve isolated survivors and rapid lifesaving intervention opportunities.

Aircraft crash response operations will generally be controlled by police. SLS support should be coordinated through the State Operations Centre (SOC).

Procedure

Immediate Actions

  1. Notify emergency services via the State Operations Centre if not already activated.
  2. Provide:
    • Exact location,
    • Aircraft type if known,
    • Number of persons involved if known,
    • Whether the aircraft is in the water, on the beach, or impacted with terrain or infrastructure,
    • Fire, smoke, fuel, or hazardous material hazards,
    • Access limitations,
    • Visible survivors,
    • Debris field or wreckage location, and
    • Any immediate risks to the public.
  3. Establish an exclusion zone where safe to do so.
  4. Remove members of the public from hazardous areas.
  5. Commence rescue or first aid activities where safe and operationally appropriate.
  6. Maintain situational awareness and continually reassess hazards.

Scene Safety

Aircraft crash scenes may contain significant hazards including:

  • Fire and explosion hazards,
  • Aviation fuel contamination,
  • Pressurised systems,
  • Batteries and electrical systems,
  • Hazardous cargo,
  • Sharp debris and unstable wreckage,
  • Smoke and toxic fumes,
  • Rotors and propellers,
  • Structural collapse hazards,
  • Biohazards, and
  • Unstable sand, dunes, cliffs, rocks, or building debris.

SLS personnel must not enter crashed aircraft unless specifically trained, equipped, and directed by emergency services.

Members must not expose themselves to unacceptable operational risk during rescue or recovery activities.

Aircraft Collisions into Water

Water impact incidents may involve:

  • Floating debris,
  • Fuel contamination,
  • Rapid sinking,
  • Entrapment hazards,
  • Multiple casualties,
  • Survivors separated from the aircraft, and
  • Wreckage movement due to currents, swell, or wind.

Survivors should be removed from the water as quickly and safely as practicable.

Care should be taken not to destabilise floating wreckage where survivors may still be present.

Where safe to do so, partially submerged wreckage or impact locations may be marked using a buoy, float, or temporary marker secured to the fuselage or wreckage to assist ongoing search and recovery operations.

SLS personnel must not enter submerged or partially submerged aircraft.

Aircraft Collisions onto Land or Structures

Land or terrain impact incidents may involve:

  • Fire,
  • Explosion,
  • Structural collapse,
  • Fuel leaks,
  • Debris fields,
  • Entrapped casualties,
  • Unstable wreckage,
  • Damaged buildings or infrastructure, and
  • Unstable sand, dunes, cliffs, rocks, or terrain.

Aircraft may impact beaches, dunes, cliffs, roads, buildings, jetties, or coastal infrastructure.

Survivors should be moved to a safe area upwind and uphill where practicable.

A safe exclusion zone should be maintained until emergency services establish scene control.

Casualty Management

Lifesaving services may be requested to assist with:

  • Casualty extraction,
  • Triage,
  • First aid treatment,
  • Establishment of casualty collection points,
  • Patient transport support,
  • Crowd management, and
  • Guidance of emergency services to access points.

Large aircraft incidents may require significant multi-agency casualty management operations.

Site Marking

Where safe and operationally appropriate, SLS personnel may assist with marking the location of wreckage, impact points, debris fields, or search areas.

Site marking may include:

  • Buoys,
  • Floats,
  • Temporary markers,
  • GPS coordinates,
  • Shoreline reference points,
  • Photographs where safe and appropriate, or
  • Marker dye where approved.

Where wreckage is partially submerged, a buoy or marker may be secured to the fuselage or wreckage where safe to do so.

Personnel must not compromise scene safety, evidence preservation, or member safety while marking aircraft wreckage or debris.

Decontamination and PPE

Where operationally appropriate, personnel operating near fuel, smoke, chemicals, or contaminated water should utilise suitable PPE including:

  • Gloves,
  • Eye protection,
  • Masks or respiratory protection where available,
  • Helmets,
  • Protective footwear,
  • Wetsuits or protective clothing for water operations, and
  • Personal flotation devices where operating near or in water.

Exposure to aviation fuel, smoke, chemicals, or contaminated water should be minimised wherever practicable.

Operational leaders should ensure members are appropriately briefed regarding contamination risks and PPE requirements.

Where members are exposed to fuel or contaminants:

  • Personnel should be washed down with fresh water as soon as practicable,
  • Contaminated PPE and wetsuits should be cleaned and decontaminated appropriately,
  • Any contamination exposure should be reported through appropriate operational reporting processes, and
  • Medical advice should be sought where exposure symptoms occur or where exposure is significant.

Aviation fuel and solvent exposure may present reproductive health considerations, including potential risks for female personnel. This should be managed through organisational risk assessment, PPE, exposure minimisation, and medical advice where required. Members must not be excluded from operational roles based on gender; operational deployment decisions should be based on task risk, available controls, qualifications, capability, and member consent.

Post Incident Management

Aircraft incidents may involve traumatic scenes, fatalities, serious injury, or mass casualty situations.

Operational debriefing, peer support, and member welfare considerations should be undertaken following any significant aircraft incident.

Operational reporting, incident documentation, and exposure reporting should be completed in accordance with organisational requirements.

References

This document must not be displayed, including in a patrol room, or reproduced in any form, without permission from the Lifesaving Department, Surf Life Saving SA.

9.11 Coastal Fire Operations 10.1 Reduced Visibility Operations