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Rescue at sea: Rockwell Collins’ direction finder technology helps the U.S. Coast Guard save lives
- System assists in recent rescue of Clipper Round the World race crew
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 04, 2010) - The rescue at sea of the 19-member crew of the California during the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race is the latest
example of how the Rockwell Collins DF-430 Direction Finder is helping the U.S. Coast Guard find vessels in distress - and
helping to save lives.
Following is the account of the recent rescue:
The 68-foot stripped down racing yacht ran into a fierce Pacific Ocean storm on March 21 as the yacht raced from Qingdao in
China across the Pacific to San Francisco, and was disabled when it was rolled 120 degrees by a huge wave, which broke its
mast and injured one of the crew members. Because the wave took out all of the electronics and communication equipment, the
emergency locator beacon was activated, enabling a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft, outfitted with the DF-430 Direction
Finder, to locate the disabled vessel. The Kodiak, Alaska rescue crew flew 1,200 miles to the south and picked up the emergency
signal from 175 miles away and nearly 50 miles from the reported position.
Once Coast Guard personnel reached the distressed vessel, they dropped a VHF radio within two meters of the California so
that the crew could communicate with rescuers; this was very helpful since the crew's own handheld unit was running out of
battery power. The Coast Guard then overflew a yacht participating in the competition and communicated the situation to its
crew, who relayed the situation to the race organizers. The Coast Guard then asked the merchant ship Nord Nightingale, on
passage from Yokohama to Los Angeles, to divert and take the injured crew member onboard - he is now making a full recovery.
Eventually, the crew of the California was able to perform makeshift repairs and sail into San Francisco.
The California is skippered by Cape Town-based Pete Rollason, who said, "Seeing the U.S. Coast Guard C-130 overhead was a
great moment for me and my crew, and we were all so impressed with the professionalism and efficiency shown by them. The Clipper
Race is unique in that the crews come from all walks of life with varying levels of sailing experience. They knew it would
be the challenge of a lifetime, but I think they got a bit more than they bargained for on this occasion."
The DF-430 system was introduced in 2007 and is being installed on all Coast Guard aircraft. The system enables aircraft to
receive and immediately locate activated 406 MHz Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) signals, thus, allowing
Coast Guard crews to go directly to people in distress.
Coast Guard Lt. Commander Mike Woodrum said, "Using the new direction finder, we were able to fly to the vessel's precise
position, saving time and fuel. A visual search of the waters in the rough sea conditions would have been extremely difficult
and there's a significant chance we wouldn't have been able to find the vessel without these tools."
The DF-430 gives Coast Guard rescuers the ability to home in on a signal from far greater distances than previously available
- allowing them to pinpoint the location of distressed vessels from as far away as 200 nautical miles. Before the DF-430 was
introduced, rescue aircraft had to be within a few miles of vessels before they could pick up the older standard distress
signals. Less searching makes it possible to execute faster rescue missions -something that a person would appreciate if
stranded or possibly in need of medical assistance.
"Over the years, we've built a tremendous relationship with the Coast Guard by providing them with a variety of systems and
products, along with logistics support, to help them carry out their missions every day," said Bruce King, vice president
and general manager of Surface Solutions for Rockwell Collins. "It is very satisfying for our employees to know that more
than 100 rescues have been made possible by using our equipment."
For video of the rescue and a preview of an upcoming television series on the race, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARW8mc8ttI
To read about a ceremony commemorating the rescue of the California, visit: http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/index.php/race_news/?item=1813&p=1
Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) is a pioneer in the development and deployment of innovative communication and aviation electronic
solutions for both commercial and government applications. Our expertise in flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, mission
communications, information management and simulation and training is delivered by nearly 20,000 employees, and a global service
and support network that crosses 27 countries. To find out more, please visit www.rockwellcollins.com.
Media contact:
Dave Gosch
djgosch@rockwellcollins.com
319.295.2908
319.651.3042 (mobile)
Booth 1211 at the Sea-Air-Space Exhibition
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