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Search patterns
– Factors to consider in deciding what type of search pattern to use include:
– available number and types of assisting craft
– size of area to be searched
– type of distressed craft
– size of distressed craft
– meteorological visibility
– cloud ceiling
– type of sea conditions
– time of day
– arrival time at datum.
Section 3 provides specific information on search patterns.
– It may be advisable for vessels, especially when searching for a person in the
water with either an expanding square search (SS) or a sector search (VS), to
use dead reckoning (DR) navigation rather than more accurate navigational
methods. DR navigation will minimize pattern distortion relative to the search
object since it will automatically account for the currents affecting the search
object's drift during the search.
– For both vessels and aircraft, if a datum marker buoy or a smoke float or other
highly visible object is available, it should be deployed at datum and the pattern
should be performed relative to it.
– Precise search pattern navigation using high-precision methods such as global
satellite navigation systems will produce good patterns relative to the ocean
bottom, but not relative to the drifting search object. This could allow the search
object to drift out of the search area before the search facility arrives in that
vicinity.

Expanding square search (SS)

– Most effective when the location of the search object is known within relatively
close limits.

– The commence search point is always the datum position.

– Often appropriate for vessels or small boats to use when searching for persons
in the water or other search objects with little or no leeway.

– Due to the small area involved, this procedure must not be used simultaneously
by multiple aircraft at similar altitudes or by multiple vessels.

– Accurate navigation is required; the first leg is usually oriented directly into the
wind to minimize navigational errors.

– It is difficult for fixed-wing aircraft to fly legs close to datum if S is less than 2 NM.

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Sector search (VS)

– Most effective when the position of the search object is accurately known and
the search area is small.

– Used to search a circular area centred on a datum point.

– Due to the small area involved, this procedure must not be used simultaneously
by multiple aircraft at similar altitudes or by multiple vessels.

– An aircraft and a vessel may be used together to perform independent sector

searches of the same area.

– A suitable marker (for example, a smoke float or a radio beacon) may be

dropped at the datum position and used as a reference or navigational aid
marking the centre of the pattern.

– For aircraft, the search pattern radius is usually between 5 NM and 20 NM.

– For vessels, the search pattern radius is usually between 2 NM and 5 NM, and
each turn is 120°, normally turned to starboard.

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Track line search (TS)

– Normally used when an aircraft or vessel has disappeared without a trace along
a known route.

– Often used as initial search effort due to ease of planning and implementation.

– Consists of a rapid and reasonably thorough search along intended route of the
distressed craft.

– Search may be along one side of the track line and return in the opposite
direction on the other side (TSR).

– Search may be along the intended track and once on each side, then search
facility continues on its way and does not return (TSN).

– Aircraft are frequently used for TS due to their high speed.

– Aircraft search height usually 300 m to 600 m (1,000 ft to 3,000 ft) during daylight
or 600 m to 900 m (2,000 ft to 3,000 ft) at night.

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Parallel track search (PS)

– Used to search a large area when survivor location is uncertain.

– Most effective over water or flat terrain.

– Usually used when a large search area must be divided into sub-areas for
assignment to individual search facilities on-scene at the same time.

– The commence search point is in one corner of the sub-area, one-half track
space inside the rectangle from each of the two sides forming the corner.

– Search legs are parallel to each other and to the long sides of the sub-area.

– Multiple vessels may be used as shown below. on page 3-30:

– Parallel track search: for use by two ships.

– Parallel track search: for use by three ships.

– Parallel track search: for use by four ships.

– Parallel track search: for use by five or more ships

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Coordinated vessel–aircraft search pattern

– Normally used only if there is an OSC present to give direction to and provide
communications with the participating craft.

– Creeping line search, coordinated (CSC) is often used as an alternative name.

– The aircraft does most of the searching, while the ship steams along a course
at a speed as directed by the OSC so that the aircraft can use it as a navigational
checkpoint.

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– The aircraft, as it passes over the ship, can easily make corrections to stay on
the track of its search pattern.

– Gives a higher probability of detection than can normally be attained by an

aircraft searching alone.

– Ship speed varies according to the speed of the aircraft and the size of the
pattern. The relationship among the speed of the surface facility, the aircraft's
speed, the track spacing and the length of the search legs is defined by the
following equation:

Vs = (S x Va) / (L + S)

where Vs is the speed of the surface facility in knots, S is the track spacing in nautical
miles, Va is the aircraft's true air speed (TAS) in knots, and L is the length of the
aircraft's search leg in nautical miles.

Land search patterns

– Aircraft search over land differs from maritime searching in that it is usually more
difficult to locate search objects.

– Repeated aircraft searches of an area are often necessary.

– Search of large areas by ground facilities alone is usually not practical but may
be effective for close examination of a small area.

Visual ground search

– Use obvious natural or artificial landmarks such as rivers or roads to delimit

search sub-areas.

– Land search facilities should be equipped with large-scale topographical maps

with search areas marked on them.

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