At 13:23 on September 17, 2013, a small demonstration aircraft, Lance WP001/N - 322Z of the US MACH 1 demonstration team, crashed into Caihu Lake in Faku County, Shenyang City, during a test flight after assembly at Caihu Airport. On board were an American pilot, David Riggs, and a Chinese female interpreter. The interpreter was rescued from the water by a team from the Faku County Armed Forces Department, which was on security duty, but died after failed rescue efforts. The pilot went missing. According to eyewitnesses fishing on the east side of the lake, the aircraft tumbled upon hitting the water, crashed and disintegrated, and then sank into the lake.
Caihu Lake is located on the west side of the Ming - Shen Highway, 15 kilometers south of Faku Town. It is 75 kilometers away from Shenyang. Originally named Shangtun Reservoir and Saibei Lake, Caihu Lake is a valley - type lake with a water surface area of 14.7 square kilometers. It has the largest storage capacity among the lakes north of Shenyang. The scenic area covers an area of 2,568 hectares and is a tourist resort integrating leisure, sightseeing, water entertainment, and religious activities. The deepest part is about 10 meters near the southern dam, while the rest of the lake is 5 - 8 meters deep. The lake bottom is relatively flat with few obstacles. The water temperature is around 10℃.
At 22:11 on September 17th, upon receiving a phone call from the Rescue Duty Office of the Beihai Rescue Bureau notifying the danger situation, the Dalian Base immediately reported to Director Yu Weizheng of the base. As per Director Yu's instructions, it assembled the emergency rescue team to get ready for dispatch, waiting for the dispatch notice from the Rescue Duty Office of the Bureau.
At 23:08, the Dalian Base received a faxed "Request for Dispatching a Water Search - and - Rescue Team" from the Liaoning Provincial Emergency Office, which was forwarded by the Bureau. The base immediately communicated with the Emergency Office of the Liaoning Provincial Department of Transportation to understand the relevant situation of the lake area where the plane crashed, formulated a preliminary rescue plan, and then set out for the rescue mission immediately after getting all the necessary equipment ready.
At 00:00 on September 18th, the base's emergency rescue team was fully prepared. Led by Director Yu Weizheng of the Salvage Bureau, the team consisted of Deputy Director Han Xiangdong, Chief Zhang Fang of the Rescue Section, Captain Li Xiaokang of the emergency team, 4 emergency team members, 2 volunteers, and drivers, totaling 11 people. They carried diving equipment and set off in an emergency rescue vehicle and an Isuzu rescue support vehicle. After traveling 512 kilometers, when they got onto the western section of the Shenyang Ring Expressway from the Shenyang - Dalian Expressway, they contacted the guiding vehicle dispatched by the Emergency Office, which was waiting at the toll gate. Then they drove another 85 kilometers and arrived at the command post on the shore of Caihu Lake at 06:20.
After the team arrived, they gathered information from the on - site personnel and learned that the small aircraft had no flight data recorder (black box). Immediately afterwards, they formulated an underwater search plan.
From 07:01 to 07:30, the Dalian Base, together with local government - organized militiamen and the fire brigade, salvaged the wreckage of the aircraft engine from the water.
From 07:45 to 12:25, five emergency team members conducted underwater groping in a fan - shaped area centered around the marked salvage point of the engine wreckage. They went underwater a total of nine times, but found nothing and then returned to the command post. Director Yu arranged for Captain Li Yunfeng of the Shenyang branch of the Blue Sky Rescue Team to come and provide assistance.
At 13:00 on September 19th, the Shenyang branch of the Blue Sky Rescue Team arrived at the scene and joined the base rescue team. At the command post, Director Yu arranged to contact and dispatch detection equipment, which was expected to arrive at the scene at 16:00 p.m.
At 11:54, Tao Bo from the third group and Lao Zu from the Blue Sky Rescue Team entered the water. Subsequently, Li Qingfeng entered the water to be in charge of air supply. At 12:12, Tao Bo touched the leg of the victim and signaled Lao Zu through the signal rope. The two of them held onto the victim. At 12:20, the two divers and Li Qingfeng, who arrived later, salvaged the victim out of the water. Immediately afterwards, Director Yu reported the salvage situation to the Ministry of Transport Salvage Bureau and our bureau.
At 12:50, the work mother ship returned, and the victim was handed over to the Faku police.
This rescue mission has drawn extensive attention from major domestic media.
