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The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
July 19, 2013
Ocean City Reviews Plane Crash Response
By JOANNE SHRINER
STAFF WRITER
OCEAN CITY – Some questions were put to rest and rumors addressed this week when emergency officials met to review what took place when a plane holding two of Ocean City Police Department’s own crashed in the ocean last month. On Thursday, an After Action Review of the tragic aircraft incident a few weeks ago in Ocean City was held at the Public Safety Building with all participating agencies in attendance. Ocean City Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald went over a chronological review of the incident that took place. “Whenever we have a critical incident, it is important to get everybody back together again to get everybody on the same page. When you are actively involved, and the clock is ticking, you’re missing the big picture,” he said. “What can we do in the future should this happen again? How can we be better? That is the whole reason of being here today, to improve the future. We can’t change the past.” On Sunday, June 20, at 4:02 p.m., an aircraft, a Nanchang CJ6A, crashed into the ocean approximately 400 yards off the beach at 130th Street Ocean City
Beach Patrol (OCBP) units responded immediately and police and fire disciplines were dispatched. At 4:06, a private vessel, the Sea Rocket, was the first on the scene. At 4:11 p.m., police command was established by Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) Capt. Kevin Kirstein and fire command was established by Ocean City Fire Department (OCFD) Water Rescue Unit member Lt. Del Baker on the 130th Street beach. Only a couple minutes later, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) was underway and arrived on scene by 4:25 with Ocean City personnel on board, a diver and two medical providers. At 4:33 p.m., a preliminary crash location was first identified by a fuel-oil slick and bubbling. At 4:35, Unified Command was established of Theobald, OCPD, OCFD, and Maryland State Police (MSP). MSP Dive member Sgt. C. Williams arrived on the scene. The incident operation was discussed and requested OCFD Dive Team assistance for four divers to support the operation. The OCFD divers were approved by Unified Command at 4:49. By 5:02 p.m., the OCFD Dive Team assembled at 15th Street Fire Headquarters. At 5:06 the OCFD Dive Team was en-route to the Worcester County boat ramp
located in West Ocean City to assemble and deploy with the MSP Dive Team, and by the end of the hour OCFD Dive Team was cancelled. “That was a decision by the OCFD. I have to stand by the chief that makes the decision, whether I agree or disagree. We work together,” Theobald said. At 6:10 p.m., the MSP Dive Team equipped with Ocean City radios were underway and arrived at the scene of the crash by 7 p.m. to begin side scan sonar operations to locate the plane. At 9 p.m., after scanning the area the aircraft was believed to be located 400 yards off the 130th Street beach in 31 feet of water. Due to darkness and ocean conditions no dive operations were conducted. The crash location was marked and units returned to stations with operations scheduled to resume Monday at 7 a.m. On Monday morning, the Unified Command of MSP, OCPD, USCG, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Emergency Services and a private salvage contractor met on 130th St. beach. At 8:30 a.m. MSP dive team and USCG were on the scene of the aircraft. By 12:03 p.m., the first victim was recovered followed by the second victim SEE NEXT PAGE
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