Night vision goggles aid crash aircraft search (Bundeena)
The first use of Night Vision Goggles (NVG) by a non-military rescue helicopter in New South Wales helped locate wreckage, believed to be from a missing freight aircraft, off Bundeena in Sydney’s south early this morning.
An NRMA CareFlight crew used the NVG technology as civil and military aircraft searched for the twin-engine aircraft which vanished off radar shortly after taking off from Sydney airport at about 11.30 pm overnight.
NRMA CareFlight aircrewman David Mann said the NVG helped the crew conduct a search from Bundeena, on the south side of Port Hacking, along the coastline of the Royal National Park to Wattamolla.
The crew located some wreckage and fuel along the coastline.
At the same time a Navy SeaHawk helicopter reported finding some wreckage about 2 km off Jibbon Point at the entrance to Port Hacking.
It was the first time NVG had been used to assist a search and rescue mission in NSW, following approval given by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority for NRMA CareFlight to use the new technology.
The search for the missing aircraft is being co-ordinated by AusSAR, with additional aircraft and boats expected to join the search at first light.
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ENDS: For further information please call NRMA CareFlight spokesman Ian Badham on 0418 245 748.
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