Rapid Response Excellence: How Team Charleston Handled the AIR1 Helicopter Mishap
By MS. ASHLEIGH A. NICHOLS, DIRECTOR OF STAFF, 437TH AIRLIFT WING
On the afternoon of Aug. 1, 2023, Airmen at Joint Base (JB) Charleston, SC, jumped into action, responding to an in-flight emergency for a Charleston County Sheriff office’s Bell 407 Rotorcraft, callsign AIR1.
The helicopter, suffering from malfunctioning tail controls and a departed rudder, crashed with one soul on board near Runway 15.
Members of JB Charleston Fire Emergency Services, Airfield Operations and Management, and Repair and Reclamation responded to the crash, working as a team to transfer the patient, recover the aircraft, and clean up the crash site. Instant response, seamless coordination and communication, and proper protocols enabled the restoration of normal runway operations in 90 minutes.
Charleston International Airport (KCHS) sees more than 118,000 commercial and military flights a year, with 51 in-flight emergencies logged in 2023. The AIR1 mishap required support from 25 response personnel and additional coordination with the airport, Charleston County Sheriff’s Department, and the National Transportation Security Board. The severity and rapid nature of the mishap are what made the Team Charleston response noteworthy.
The time that elapsed from AIR1’s emergency declaration to the crash landing was only six minutes. This sequence was extraordinary, but turning the extraordinary into the ordinary, in the form of a disciplined and timely response to chaos, is a responsibility our Airmen and first responders live with every day. KCHS is a critical strategic airlift hub and aerial port for the Department of Defense, so the balance between post-mishap requirements and coordination with the National Transportation Safety Board Investigators was critical. In the case of the AIR1 mishap, an airlift mission designated 1A—United States Transportation Command’s highest designation—departed minutes after the field was reopened.
Two 437th Operations Support Squadron airfield operations members, A1C Morgan Austin and SrA Joshua Hill, responded to the IFE and witnessed the mishap at short range. Immediately following the crash, while the pilot was transported to the hospital with minor, non-life-threatening injuries, two additional members of airfield operations, MSgt Tyler Pokrywka and A1C Charles Faircloth, expedited proper notifications across JB Charleston and to higher headquarters.
Airfield operations closed the aerodrome and completed numerous quick-response checklists. After fire emergency services cleared the scene, JB Charleston’s Crash Damaged Disabled Aircraft Recovery (CDDAR) team of 12 personnel from the 437th Maintenance Squadron took control under the expert leadership of Mr. John Speaks. Without delay, TSgt Jordan Dupre trained 10 responders on-site to securely handle aircraft debris. This safe and detailed approach resulted in the removal of 12,000 pounds of dismembered aircraft components and averted future foreign object debris mishaps at KCHS, which serves 11,400 travelers daily.
Further detailed attention to safety by CDDAR ensured the mishap was resolved with care and consideration for all personnel and equipment. On-site, SrA Darian Monroe averted a potentially hazardous situation by halting the lift of the helicopter to remove a rotor near collapse. Seven emergency response personnel would have been directly in harm’s way had the rotor fallen.
However, that was not enough excellence for the day. SrA Nicholas Klepac exhibited remarkable courage by volunteering to crawl beneath the crashed helicopter, ensuring the disconnection of its skids. This selfless action facilitated the proper securing of the aircraft for shipment, ultimately guaranteeing the safety of local civilians on nearby highways. We hope to never see another mishap like AIR1’s crash landing, but if it comes, Team Charleston is ready.