Helicopter number NA-512 received a notification and application form from the NASC Duty Command Center by phone and fax at 17:50 on 17 September to implement a mountain rescue mission: A mountain climber accidentally fell off the slope about 50 meters away. The target zone was in a hut close to Yui Fei Pavilion on the way to the coastal forest road in Xiulin Township of Hualien. The rescue target盧O凱 (male, citizen of Taipei City) accidentally fell in the valley, which caused a slight cerebral concussion and chest pain while breathing. As the rescue target’s glasses were broken and his eye-sight was more than 1,000, he had a blurry vision and was unable to move. After received the notification at 17:50 on 17 September, the standby crew immediately performed pre-flight prompts. At 07:00 on 18 September, the team received command from the NASC Duty Command Center to implement the mission. The flight crew turned on the helicopter engine at 07:05 and, after cleared the ground and checked the hovering system and radio of the helicopter, it took off from Hualien Airport at 07:11. At 07:20, the crew implemented VFR to search for the rescue target along the Coastal Forest Road in the mountain area of Taroko in Xiulin Township and stayed in contact with ground rescue personnel by radio. At 07:23, the crew discovered the ground rescue personnel and rescue target on the Coast Forest Road. After completed low and high aerial survey and checked OGE, the crew downloaded supplies (water, food, batteries and so on) in an empty space of the No. 2 cable way on the Coastal Forest Road at 07:25. It then implemented an aerial survey on the target zone and confirmed the target was stuck in a deep cliff of the Coastal Forest Road at 5,500 ft. The location had a narrow and steep terrain and there was a towering tree nearby. Besides, apart from unstable streams, there was a clough cableway crossed over the entering route. As the risk of implementing the rescue mission was quite high, the flight crew recommended the ground rescue member to move the patient to an empty space of the No.2 cable way on the Coastal Forest Road. After the rescue mission was completed, the helicopter left the target zone at 07:55 and returned to Hualien Airport for the next mission.
At 08:50 on 18 September, the team received a notification and application of implementing a rescue mission from the NASC Duty Command Center by the phone and fax. The helicopter turned on its engine at 09:00 and took off at 09:08. The helicopter firstly flew to Hualien Taroko Forest District Office to pick up 6 rescue personnel dispatched by the Fire Department as the second round. The rescue personnel were transported to the empty space of the No. 2 cable way on the Coastal Forest Road to help carrying the patient. After completed the transportation mission, the helicopter left the target zone, landed at Hualien Airport at 09:50, and turned off the engine at 09:55.
At 10:55 on 18 September, the team received a notification from the NASC Duty Command Center by phone to implement the mountain rescue target. The flight crew turned on the engine at 11:00 and took off from Hualien Airport at 11:08. At 11:25, the helicopter landed at the empty space of the No. 2 cable way on the Coastal Forest Road to transport the patient 盧O凱 and 2 rescue personnel. The helicopter took off at 11:26 and landed at Tzu Chi Jing Si Hall at 11:38. The patient was passed to the ground medical personnel and the helicopter took off again at 11:40. The flight crew firstly transported the 2 rescue personnel to the Hualien Taroko Forest District Office then flew to the empty space of the No. 2 cable way on the Coastal Forest Road to take the 14 rescue personnel back to the same Forest District Office in 2 rounds. At 12:15, the helicopter took off from the Hualien Taroko Forest District Office and returned to Hualien Airport. It arrived in the airport at 12:22 and turned off the engine at 12:25. The mission was successfully completed.