NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist - PMS 503 - Emergency actions

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist provides operational instructions for handling aviation mishap events, including immediate reporting requirements to DOI or USFS. It emphasizes notifying search and rescue, coordinating with the relevant Bureau/Agency point of contact, and managing roles through documented preparation and approvals. Emergency sections cover protecting people and property, performing risk assessment, clearing crew and passengers through medical authority, controlling site hazards, and preserving evidence while enabling rescues and fire suppression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Emergency Actions

Protect People

Protect Property

Preserve Evidence

2026-Pueblo Interagency Dispatch (PIDC) A Publication of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist w/UAS insert PMS 503 Feb 2021 NFES 2659 Do not waste time trying to figure out if an event is an accident, that’s not your job. Ifyou have an event with an aircraft that results in damage or injury no matter how slight. REPORT IT to DOI or USFS by calling 1-888-464-7427 (888-4MISHAP). Has 911/ Search and Rescue (SAR) been notified? Notify your Bureau / Agency and follow their procedures Bureau / Agency Point of Contact and phone number PIDC Center Mgr 719-553-1600 Cream: Local-Region-National Agency \#'s // Blue: County \#'s // Orange: Hospital \#'s Preparation, Review, and Approvals (Signatures) The following signatures designate leadership roles in preparing, reviewing, and approving the NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist. Prepared by: Michael Spink, Zone Aviation Officer, Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Reviewed by: Eric Toft, Dispatch Center Manager Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Reviewed by: John McCain, Safety and Occupational Health Manager Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Reviewed by: William King, Safety, Fire and Aviation Staff Officer, Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Approved by: Ryan Nehl, Forest and Grasslands Supervisor, Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Emergency Actions Protect People a. Many times, in the urgency to assist accident victims, the rescuers may place themselves in jeopardy and become victims themselves. Enforce risk assessment and mitigation procedures. b. Ensure ALL crew and passengers involved in an aircraft accident are cleared by medical authority before returning to duty. c. Aircraft wreckage attracts people like a magnet. Keep non-essential personnel well clear and preferably upwind. d. Hazards at an aircraft accident site can include: 1. Biological Hazards—Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and many others. See OSHA’s 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.1030 for control measures. 2. Toxic Substances—Fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, and exotic aircraft materials such as beryllium, lithium, chromium, and mercury. You must also consider the cargo the aircraft was carrying (see the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook, [https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/erg/emergency-response-guidebook-erg](https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/erg/emergency-response-guidebook-erg)). 3. Pressure Vessels—Tires (often above 90 psi), hydraulic accumulators, oleo struts, oxygen cylinders, and fire extinguishers. They may look okay but may have been damaged in the crash. 4. Mechanical Hazards—Metal under tension (rotor blades bent under fuselage), heavy objects, composite materials, and innumerable sharp edges. 5. Fire Hazards—Unburned fuel, hot metal (or other components), aircraft batteries, pyrotechnics, and the ignition of surrounding vegetation because of the accident. Be cautious of smoldering items which may re-ignite. 6. Environmental Hazards—Weather, terrain, and animals. Depending on the location and time of year, the environment may be among the most serious hazards at the scene. e. Utilize available protective devices and clothing. Use extreme caution when working around the wreckage. Protective measures include: 1. Minimize the number of personnel allowed to enter the accident site. 2. Ensure exposed personnel use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as boots, long pants, long-sleeved shirts, leather gloves (use surgical gloves as inserts if blood or bodily fluids are present), and appropriate respirators if toxic vapors or composite material pose respiratory hazards. f. Do whatever is necessary to

FAQs

When must an aviation mishap be reported, and to whom?

Report the event to DOI or USFS. The guide instructs calling 1-888-464-7427 (888-4MISHAP).

What are the core steps to protect people at the accident site?

Enforce risk assessment and mitigation, ensure all crew and passengers are medically cleared before returning to duty, keep non-essential personnel away and preferably upwind, and use protective devices and PPE when entering or working around wreckage.

How should the guide balance rescue work with evidence preservation?

Do what is necessary to extricate victims and extinguish fires, but protect and preserve evidence. If evidence must be disturbed, document and/or photograph its location.

Sep 4, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

NWCG Aviation Mishap Response Guide and Checklist - PMS 503 - Emergency actions_Page 1

Open in WPS to view all 23 pages