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Preparing for a major aircraft mishap is like preparing for combat. You never know when you'll be called to serve, and you've got to be trained and ready when you are. The irony in both experiences is the sense of sadness over the terrible destruction and the coexisting sense of pride in knowing you've met the challenge and made people's lives better.
In the tragedy of Korean Air Flight 801, I was provided a great opportunity to apply what I had learned in safety training and to assist and learn from the members of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Despite the large number of people who worked at the crash site (many working under those conditions for the first time), the injury rate was exceptionally low. Four people were treated for dehydration-two people at the scene and two at the hospital-and only one Air Force member required minor medical treatment for a cut.
In this article, I've described my involvement in the aftermath of the mishap. My story is only one of hundreds that could be told-this was a team effort. The airmen, sailors, soldiers, marines, coast guardsmen, and civilians involved in the search, rescue, recovery, and investigation performed in an outstanding manner, and many are true heroes.
Hopefully, our experiences will help the next group of people faced with a task of this magnitude. More than likely, we will soon know why this mishap occurred, and we can use this tragedy for future benefit. Mr. George Black, Jr., National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said that mishap investigators had the noble mission of turning something bad into something good. I believe that's why safety professionals, regardless of who they work for, continue to investigate, continue to ask why, and continue on the quest to achieve that elusive goal of zero mishaps.
The phone rang at 0400 on 6 August, waking me from a deep sleep. When you're the Chief of Safety, an early morning phone call is usually not a good thing. The sergeant from the Command Post said a Korean Air 747 had crashed near Piti. Korean Air Flight 801 (KE 801) had crashed about 0140, 3 miles short of A.B. Won Pat Guam International Air Terminal's Runway 06L. During the first...