FLIGHT

[Music] [Laughter] my name is Michener flight surgeon they knew the plane was going down the first one they notified was me [Music] [Music] is an instrument of flight the air force calls it a URC for it's a radio radio communication has always been an indispensable part of flying radio has saved countless lives in aerial emergencies but never in a more exciting way than this one this is a story of Captain Henry Michener and it should start on the flight line at the Norton Air Force Base San Bernardino California and this is Captain Michener a flight surgeon how about that doc good as new any pain at all ah once in a while not lean on let's keep it that way stay away from motorcycles sergeant I sure will Norton Tower this is Air Force zero zero four two one ready for takeoff Dodgers zero zero cleared for takeoff that's captain go back to Boise isn't it yes sir he's flying the goony bird you better let me see that wrist again in a couple weeks sergeant all right [Music] yup Norton tower from air for zero zero four two one what was my time off zero zero four two one of em two one Roger Newton tower air force zero zero four two one carrying a high-priority cargo on a routine flight to Travis Air Force Base California was airborne at 12:21 zebra Tuesday July 14th in mountainous areas there is always turbulence but on hot days the uneven heating of the ground creates massive thermal updrafts which can sometimes flip an aircraft completely on its back [Music] ruff over the mountain they kept the place near Travis where you can shop px fancy place an anniversary present anniversary you just got married two months anniversary these really have about celebrating things you guys may have the right idea but I still think it's the bachelors life that's worth celebrating you know he really throws on our one weeks anniversary she baked a cake and had a lot of presents well just gag president she's really nuts about that it's a nice way to be nice you got a George but we ought to be back in time for you to get into Riverside before the shops closed I figured out by our pair of earrings she likes the long dangling time and all the kind of create a lot of drag number one seemed rough [Music] we got a fire number one feather it [Music] chopped the mixture number one get the firewall shutoff valve rub levers ok it's in position number two get the extinguisher mission all number one fuel tank off where seems to be out all right I got it air speeds drop just below 120 rough air that's not much margin a safety about stalling speed but call Norton tower tell them we're returning to base declare an emergency North Tower from air force zero zero four two one zero zero four two one go ahead norton tar from zero zero four two one we are approximately 18 miles northwest of field returning to base declaring emergency zero zero four two one natal what is the nature of your emergency fire number one engine fire out engine feather four two one understand how many passengers on board three crew members North Roger cleared for straight in approach to runway zero five when these eight knots gusting altimeter 29.92 on final gear down well let's see if we can get it back on the ground [Music] see 47 18 miles from base returning on single-engine emergency three crew members Norton Tower to all aircraft in vicinity I have a c-47 single-engine emergency stay clear of traffic pattern until advised sergeant Davidson next alerted all stations on the primary crash circuit my office dispatch fire GCA I immediately headed for the flight line [Music] whose updraft smacking pretty good pitch how's your cargo started it's all secure sir but I'm pretty shook I'm sure out it could be smooth and foggy thanks to losing an engine I like a pulley interface [Music] negative we get another fire for user co2 mr. crashing crashing flames we'll try to set her down 0:04 two one [Music] to crash-land proximately miles northeast abate turn it you better find yourself a soft spot look pretty hard down there [Music] there's a clearing on the left [Music] c-47 autumn urgency is going to crash-land eight miles in the field Killer master switch [Music] well we're down you all right yeah but I'll never know why sergeant you okay sergeant is he down yet yes sir look pretty rough I saw him go in [Music] get on this side [Music] it's light in here [Music] [Music] bad cut lost a lot of blood already must have cut an artery the womb so high I don't know how we can get a tourniquet on they better get us a doctor right away if we turn up the radio when we hit so break out the you rc4 sack and throw me a first-aid kit there sir he's approximately here rough country no roads in it's pretty inaccessible sir might be able to get a chopper into a clearing Norton Tower this is zero zero four two one over he's an emergency frequency zero zero four two one this is Norton Tower zero zero four two one two Norton Tower we are down in a partial clearing flight engineer is injured here let me have it this is captain Kovac sergeant Hines has a deep cut in his right side what's the cut an artery no I can't get a tourniquet on above the wound I got a pressure bandage on it but he's still losing blood fast now we need a doctor over this is Major Anderson ara will get you your doctor get the flight surgeon and alert the chopper yes sir Howard a flight surgeon tore out a flight surgeon from here whoever has a cut artery tell me if you can't get the tourniquet above the wound to put his hand over the pressure bandage and press as hard as necessary I'll get there as soon as possible [Music] as we flew towards the scene of the accident another rescue team started overland their mission in case we failed to reach the stricken plane on foot [Music] [Music] get before a rough knock no sign of them yeah be very [Music] very caught up congratulate him later put me down try [Music] he's having a rough time to [Applause] [Music] what's the matter a tip spa have to pull up you mean you can't lure me out of prayer there's a man bleeding to death it isn't going to help him any if I kill us - how about a jump not for my copter the force of the rollers and keep this chute from opening how about a delayed jump from altitude take me up way to them and let me trip down never give me up mug your blades with this when you wouldn't land within 10 miles of your target that's not saying what kind of shape you'd be in when you get down [Music] now what do we do that's a very good question [Music] [Music] a few thousand feet we still can't reach lucky we have smashed up to the highway about four miles does have to walk out one of those men is bleeding to death we wait Nick tovo law County Airport zero zero four two one from Air Force helicopter zero five two seven zero five seven four two one what is the condition of your patient still losing blood it's very fast and it's hard to count he feels cold but he's sweating a lot climbing he's in deep shock I win looks pretty rough doc he's gonna be able to make it know the ground rescue team tonight you come up with any idea now get to that man he'll be dead within an hour darkness just no way to do it I can't take the responsibility I have to keep talking see what we can improvise all right let me get a little louder do it see if I can get out of this turbulence feel like a yo-yo doctors paid to know what he's doing can you see the severed artery look I don't even know what I'm looking for put your fists against his stomach right and stop the bleeding wouldn't this trick of pressing on the aorta give a ground rescue party time to get to us lieutenant right and I could spell each other no you'd have to keep releasing pressure to prevent gangrene every time you did it would start again there's only one way to save that man that's to tie off the artery that's what you're going to have to do you mean operate I I'm not sure I can see any of it I mean I'm not sure where it is I can see where it's coming from but I can't actually see the artery if you can't lower me can you lower this instrument case on the cable no chance I couldn't get along out I've never get that artery without instruments they don't get it how about dropping the case I know I'm beginning to sound monotonous doc but if we put a chute on it and end up in the next state we let it fall free there wouldn't be anything worth looking up [Music] any other suggestions I don't know I doubt that the paramedics would risk of Trump in these conditions but it might be worth a try ham radio request for them wait a minute that's it that's one radio repair kit dr. Kovac is your flight engineer have a set of tools on board should have see if you can find a pair of needlenose pliers in the radio repair kit you already check the radio compartment look for some electricians wire the finished we got Roger I got the pliers we have the pliers got the wire too [Music] I'll try my best [Music] what do we do first be sure those pliers are clean I don't mean surgical sanitation we don't worry about that now just make sure there are no bits of metal on now when you're ready momentarily release pressure when you're sure use those pliers as gently as possible you know on a harmony of the other tissue when you do get on it hold tight that clear Roger I don't know how much longer I get all this position dark or else to help fight the pants on winds a lot let's go up jords can you hold the radio in one hand and keep a pressure on Heinz with the other I can try ease up on this a little so I can see it alright gently now that's good you know we we've got some pretty complicated construction of us hey engineering is fine just wish we had a more experienced mechanic [Music] all right watch moment that's it I got it I got it Duncan [Music] it works we got it made I've taken the first step captain to tie it off through the artery you a second chance one of you would better hold the pliers well the other time it'll be a two-handed job all right you take these I'll try the time [Music] possible all right get the wire behind but not too much pressure we might break it see all right not exactly happy where I am but I'm sure glad I'm not doing that job down there that that call as soon as you get your timing he's got the first knock doc just starting on the other [Music] I got a double knot [Music] they're not hos good I will try to get some help to you Norton tower from Air Force helicopter zero five to seven Air Force five to seven from norton tower go ahead crash injured man safe how close is the ground rescue team five to seven from Norton tower Roger rescue team will arrive at crash scene in approximately one hour can you go back again right helicopter 242 one captured the ground rescue teeth we'll be there in one hour sit tight is there anything else we can do for Heinz now you've already done it I'll see you at the base congratulations doctor [Music] it's over you're worse than he did [Music] tell you more about captain Michener and sergeant hines as an in condition to celebrate his two-month bursary but he was fine by the time the three months date rolled around the flight surgeon whether it be in preserving the health and the lives of airmen and their loved ones or in experimenting with space medicine is an indispensable figure in this age of flight [Music]