A RNZAF P3K Orion. AK-07-0106-02
22 November 2008
A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K Orion and 14 crew members has started its third day of searching for 29 fishermen missing in the ocean off Kiribati.
The Air Force in coordination with the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) became alerted after the Ta Ching 21 was located by a Korean fishing boat in a burnt out condition, still afloat but with no one on board in the Fiji SAR region on 9 November.
An initial search for the crew of Taiwanese, Chinese, Filipino and Indonesian nationals was conducted by a US Air Force C-130 Hercules on 12 November without success.
With more than 60% of the likely search area now completed the Orion crew will fly another 11 hour flight search today. This will bring the total hours flown in search of the missing fishermen, who are most likely in three 10-person life rafts that were missing from the Ta Ching 21 when an initial search was made, to over 30 hours flown.
The P-3K Orion captain Squadron Leader Mike Pearson said that he was happy with how the search was going and that the crew remained hopeful of achieving a successful outcome.
“We have made a thorough check of the search area including many of the uninhabited small islands. If they had been in this area we would have seen them because the weather and sea conditions have been good so far.
“Due to tides and wind direction the search area is continuing to move further west of the initial estimated area so we will base ourselves out of Vanuatu (Port Vila) after todays flight. I have a very experienced crew with me onboard but this is one of the toughest SAR missions we have been tasked to do, there is just so many unknowns,” said Squadron Leader Pearson
The RNZAF Orion crew is expected to land in Port Vila at 7.00pm NZDT today. A re-evaluation of the search in conjunction with the Fijian and New Zealand RCC’s will be made over the next day or so if the fishermen are not located today.
ENDS
Background Notes
- The RNZAF maintains a P-3K Orion and crew on 24 hour search and rescue call out 365 days of the year. A permanent crew is always on two hour call out standby.
- The P-3K Orion has a flight time of 15 hours during search and rescue operations with engines shut down to preserve fuel.
- The RNZAF is funded for 80 search and rescue flying hours annually.
- RNZAF No. 5 Squadron has undertaken 8 successful search and rescue operations this year.
- The RNZAF Orion fleet is currently being upgraded. The scope of this project includes the replacement of the data management, sensors, communications and navigation systems, and the provision of associated ground systems.
For more information please contact Squadron Leader Glenn Davis, Defence Public Relations on 04 496 0294 or 021 420 899.
Currently 644 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 14 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.