Flying Blind: Trust Is the Cornerstone for This Alaska Air Rescue Team

"What we didn't want to do was leave him up there for another couple days, because he would have died," the pilot of an Alaska Army National Guard Medevac flight told FLYING.

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, March 03, 2022 at 06:03 PM ET

Verified

The rescue earned the team the 2021 Rescue of the Year by the DUSTOFF Association. [Courtesy: Capt. Cody McKinney]

Key Takeaways:

The Alaska Army National Guard successfully executed a daring hoist rescue of a sheep hunter stranded on a small, unstable ledge at 5,800 feet for two days, amidst treacherous whiteout conditions and an approaching snowstorm.
The mission required the crew to make critical decisions, pushing through dangerous weather when an opportunity arose, rather than following an initial plan to use a ground team.
The rescue's success was attributed to the exceptional teamwork, mutual trust, and high-level training of the pilot, hoist operator, and flight medic in a highly technical and precise operation.
This challenging operation earned the team the 2021 Rescue of the Year award from the DUSTOFF Association, highlighting their proficiency in extreme environments.

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Every year, more than 450 search and rescue (SAR) operations are conducted in Alaska, according to Alaska State Troopers, the statutory lead in all SAR efforts in the state. For more than 20 years, the Alaska Army National Guard has been one asset troopers have relied upon for assistance in remote SAR operations.

Last September, troopers turned to Alaska Army National Guard’s Golf Company, Detachment 1, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment for help. Medevac Commander and UH-60 Black Hawk Instructor Pilot Capt. Cody McKinney, along with flight medic Sgt. 1st Class Damion Minchaca and helicopter crew chief and hoist operator Staff Sgt. Sonny Cooper were part of a four-person team dispatched to try to rescue a sheep hunter who had been stuck on a ledge for two days. A snowstorm was moving in, and time was running out.