Helicopters of Airborne Service Rush to the Rescue of TransAsia Air Crash.
On February 4, 2015, an TransAisa airplane, type ATR72-600, which flew from Songshan to Kuemoy crash into the Keelung river. After receiving the emergency task application, the Airborne Service Corp, MOI, instantly inform equipped crews of task planes from the 1st Service Battalion (stationed at Songshan) to rush to rescue. Captain Wang of this Battalion immediately convoke crews of task planes. According to the standard operation process, task tips were offered. After that, crews of Type AS-365 (No. NA-106) from Group 1 (stationed at Songshan) took off at 11:25 and arrived at the target area at 11:28. The plane was found at the South Lake Bridge (at the boundary of Taipei and New Taipei City), with the body heavily crashed into several parts and fell in the Keelung River. Crews of Type UH-1H (No. NA-520) from Group 2 took off at 11:32 and arrived at the destination target area at 11:35.
Since there were about 200-foot high-tension cables on both sides of the area, helicopters could not proceed the hanging rescue. Crews determined to do airborne reconnaissance at about 500-foot above the target region. They continually connected with ground rescue personnel through wireless and reported the scope and situation of the crash site. In order to seize every minutes for rescue, totally 23 sorties were dispatched to the site (upstream and downstream of Keelung River) from the time the accident occured to February 12. They extended the range of airborne reconnaissance and instantly reported the ground rescue personnel for rescue.