DCMA, Sikorsky Aircraft support ground zero relief mission

DCMA, Sikorsky Aircraft support ground zero relief mission

By DCMA Public Affairs

Editor's Note: The following article was first published in the November 2001 Defense Contract Management Agency EastSide Edition, a magazine that covered the agency's East District. DCMA has since reorganized, and the featured office, DCMA Sikorsky, is now called DCMA Vertical Lift Stratford, part of DCMA Vertical Lift under the agency's Systems Command. The article is presented unedited as it was originally published.

"From the moment we left, we could see the smoke billowing like clouds," said Navy Lt. John Biscaino. "There is no type of training to prepare for this type of event. It looked like the city was blanketed with snow, all the dust, debris, all over and in the air." Biscaino is one of the crew members from DCMA Sikorsky that raced to ground zero on September 11, 2001.

DCMA Sikorsky and Sikorsky Aircraft pilots flew relief missions into the heart of the hot zone after receiving a request from the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey to support rescue operations in Manhattan following the attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Seven Black Hawk helicopters flew directly into the Wall Street Heliport that juts into the East River, airlifting over 8,000 pounds of medical supplies, 19 doctors, emergency medical technicians and firefighters. "The overwhelming thing that day was everyone wanted to help. So many people jumping through hoops to help, it is our natural reaction as Americans to help," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Mark Fonderen.

"Once we were in the air, we all knew this was a different mission. Usually when we fly to New York City we have a certain route to avoid other air traffic, not this time. It was clear and direct," said Navy Lt. Brian O'Connell. The closer the crew got to the city, their most important concern was the smoke and the F-15s. (The crew joked about getting shot down by them.) They flew in over the Brooklyn Bridge and under the smoke at about 500 feet "We could not see the Statue of Liberty - it was obscured by the smoke. No one was out (in the air), the radio was quiet. Usually there is a lot of chatter on the radio among Rye, N.Y., Laguardia and Kennedy airports - it was silent. Everyone had an eerie feeling."

The first aircraft landed about 1400 and all aircraft were on the ground within an hour, just two blocks from ground zero. "We were on station at the Wall Street Heliport about a mile away from building seven. When it collapsed, you heard it. I can't describe the sound, but you heard it," stated O'Connell. "Paper, dust, reports, just started flowing out into the air to the East River. After the collapse, a lot of debris and cement dust was around."

Biscaino, a Brooklyn New York native, had a very personal interest in the mission. His cousin, Lisa Rodriquez, worked on the 39th floor of the World Trade Center Tower I. "I had no idea where she was. She got in early and was in the building when it was hit."

She tried to call her mother but couldn't reach her, so she called her grandmother. She told her grandmother something happened and they weren't letting people out of the building. "My grandmother, who was watching TV and saw the plane hit, yelled at her to 'Get the hell out - now'." She made it out through the stairwell. Once outside she started running as fast she could. She was about a block away when Tower II collapsed. She kept running. Once safe, she tried to contact her mother and grandmother, but cell phones weren't working and pay phones were out. She kept walking over the Brooklyn Bridge until she reached home. "Her grandmother and mother were watching TV and saw her walking along the street. It was amazing. That's how they found out she was ok."

Government pilots that partook in the mission besides Fondren, Clapp, and Biscaino were CW4 John Kinsual crewed by SFC Larry Brown, SSG Keith Farthing, SSG Will Williamson and SSG William Gearhart. Sikorsky Aircraft pilots Kevin Bredenbeck, Steven Rottier, Tage Erickson, Andy Evans, Glen Campbell, Bob Spaulding, Steven McCulley and Mark Parcell accompanied by Sikorsky crewmembers were instrumental in this effort. Coordinating with the aircraft and the command center, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Rick Thorpe provided a liaison point for the relief mission along with AMSC David Murphy and AZ1 Daniel Goncalo.

The effort was coordinated by DCMA Sikorsky Commander, Navy Capt. David Hough, and Deputy, Andy Zambory, through the District Commander, Army Col. Ron Flom, and Headquarters with the Director of DCMA, Army Brig. Gen. Edward Harrington. It also required coordination with the Black Hawk Program Manager Army Col. Bill Lake. The delivery of the doctors and nurses and the gathering of medical supplies were coordinated through New Canaan, Connecticut, based AmeriCares.

Hough said, "It is a testimony to the teamwork between DCMA and Sikorsky Aircraft Company that brought together this team to respond to this need in a time of national crisis when no other U.S. Government assets nor National Guard/Reserve assets were able to respond."