GEN 3.6 SEARCH AND RESCUE

3.6.1 Responsible service(s)

3.6.1.1. Over-all responsibility for making the necessary facilities available rests with the General Authority Of Civil Aviation, the postal and telegraphic addresses are shown on page GEN 1.1.1.
3.6.1.2. The address of the Search and Rescue department of the ATS Division is as follows:


P. O. Box 15441
Jeddah 21444
Saudi Arabia
AFTN: OEJDYCYX
3.6.1.3. The address of the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) and the Saudi Arabian Mission Control Center (SAMCC) is as follow:
 
General Authority of Civil Aviation / Saudi Air Navigation Services
Jeddah
SAMCC/JARCC
P.O.Box 6326
Jeddah 21442 BLDG 18
Saudi Arabia
TEL:    +966 12 6150170
            +966 12 6855812
FAX:    +966 12 6150171
Or:       +966 12 6402855

AFTN: OEJDYCYX
            OEJNJSAR
E-mail: samcc.sar@sans.com.sa


The service is provided in accordance with the provisions contained in:
  1. GACAR part 177- Search and Rescue.
  2. IAMSAR Manual (Doc 9731) Vol-1,2, and 3.
  3. ICAO Annex 12 - Search and Rescue.
  4. ICAO Annex 13 - Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation.
  5. ICAO Doc 7030 - Regional Supplementary Procedures for Alerting and Search and Rescue Services, applicable to the MID part of the MID/ASIA Region.

3.6.2 Area of responsibility

The SAR area of responsibility of KSA RCCs includes the Jeddah FIR and KSA maritime search and rescue regions.

3.6.3 Types of service

3.6.3.1. The search and rescue service in Saudi Arabia is organized in accordance with GACA Regulations and the International Standards and Recommended Practices of ICAO.
3.6.3.2. The Saudi Arabian Mission Control Center (SAMCC) is co-located with the ARCC in Jeddah to detect and locate the position of distress signals emitted on 406.000 MHZ and received by the COSPAS / SARSAT satellite system. Distress signals received at the SAMCC will be transmitted to the appropriate Rescue coordination Centre (RCC) in order to initiate immediate search and rescue operations.
3.6.3.3. Any Saudi registered aircraft or fitted with 406.000 MHZ ELT, EPIRB or PLB beacons must contact the SAMCC to register the 406.000 MHZ using the registration form. See GEN 3.6-3 for an example of the 406.000 MHZ notify the owner immediately about any emergency and to coordinate valuable information for successful SAR operations.


Post:
 
Saudi Arabian Mission Control Center Management
P. O. Box 15441
Jeddah 21444
TEL: +966 12 6848573 
         +966 12 6150170 / +966 12 6855812  24/7
FAX: +966 12 6150171 / +966 12 6402855  24/7
e-mail: samcc@gaca.gov.sa
            samcc@sans.com.sa
 
Note : (Office) from 05:00 to 13:00 UTC excluding FRI & SAT.
3.6.3.4. Details of the Rescue Co-ordination Centre and related rescue units are given in Table 3.6.3. In addition, various elements of the Ministry of Interior, the Precedency of State Security and Armed Forces are available for search and rescue missions when required. The aeronautical, maritime and public telecommunications services are available to the search and rescue organization.
 
  Table 3.6.3 Search and Rescue Units
 
KSA Border Guard SAR Units

Name

Location

Craft Available

Activation Time in Hours

Availability
DMRCC Border Guards base (Dammam) Hover Craft + Patrol Boat + Rescue Boat Immediately H24
JMRCC Border Guards base (Jeddah) Hover Craft + Patrol Boat + Rescue Boal Immediately H24
Presidency of State Security Helicopter SAR Units
Name Location Craft Available Activation Time in Hours Availability

Dhahran

Security Aviation Eastern Region Base

Helicopters

90 minutes

H24

Jeddah

Security Aviation Makkah Region Base

Helicopters

90 minutes

H24

Riyadh

Security Aviation Riyadh Region Base

Helicopters

90 minutes

H24
Abha Security Aviation Aseer Region Base Helicopters 90 minutes H24
RSAF Long range Aircraft and Helicopter SAR Units
Name Location Type of Aircraft Role Availability
Majmaah King Faisal Air Academy Helicopter-long range Search and rescue H24
Khamis Mushait King Khalid Air Base Helicopter-long range Search and rescue H24
Tabuk King Faisal Air Base Helicopters Search and rescue H24
Taif King Fahad Air Base Helicopters Search and rescue H24
Dhahran King Abdul Aziz Air Base Helicopters Search and rescue H24
AI-Kharj Prince Sultan Air Base C-130 \ king air Search only H24
Jeddah King Abdullah Air Base C-130 Search only H24

3.6.4 SAR agreements

Requirements for entry of aircraft, equipment, and personnel from other States to engage in search and rescue missions for aircraft in distress or to rescue survivors of aircraft accidents should be transmitted to the General Authority Of Civil Aviation:


AFTN: OEJDYAYX (DD Message) and
TEL: +966115253336 - 24H
FAX: +966112097332 / E-FAX: +966115253335
E-mail: ATCD@gaca.gov.sa

3.6.5 Conditions of availability

The SAR services and facilities in Saudi Arabia are available without charge to neighbouring States upon request to the General Authority of Civil Aviation, at all times when not otherwise engaged in operational commitments.

3.6.6 Procedures and signals used

3.6.6.1 Procedures for a pilot-in-command intercepting a distress transmission

The procedures for pilots-in-command observing an accident or intercepting a distress call and/or message are outlined in GACAR Part 177 Paragraph 177.47.

3.6.6.2 Communications

3.6.6.2.1. The transmission and reception of distress messages within the Jeddah Search and Rescue Region (SRR) are handled in accordance with ICAO Annex 10, Volume II, Chapter 5, paragraph 5.3
3.6.6.2.2. SAR authorities may also provide SRUs with the ability to operate on the frequencies 3023 kHz, 4125 kHz, 5680 kHz, 121.5 MHz, 123.1 MHz and 2182 kHz;
3.6.6.2.3. Information concerning call signs, frequencies, and hours of operation of Saudi Arabian ATS Units is published in ENR 2.1.
3.6.6.2.4. The frequency 121.500 MHZ is continuously guarded by appropriate ATC facilities.
3.6.6.2.5. Rescue aircraft on SAR missions will be assigned the call sign RESCUE and additional identification marks (ALPHA , BRAVO , CHARLIE , etc) during rescue operations

3.6.6.3 Search and rescue signals

The search and rescue signals to be used are those prescribed in GACAR 177, Appendix A- Search and Rescue Signals.

3.6.6.4 Ground/air visual signal codes for use by survivors

 
No. Message Code Symbol
1 Require assistance V
2 Require medical assistance X
3 No or Negative N
4 Yes or Affirmative Y
5 Proceeding in this direction ↑

Instructions for use: Symbols must be at least 2.5 meters (8 feet) long and must be made as conspicuous as possible.

Note 1: Symbols may be formed by any means such as: strips of fabric, parachute materials, pieces of wood, stones or such like materials; making the surface by tramping or staining with oil.
Note 2 : Attention to the above signals may be attracted by other means such as radio,flares, smoke and reflected light.

3.6.6.5 Guidance for the mandatory completion of the 406 MHZ registration form for Saudi registered aircraft

  1. The registration of 406 MHz beacon is mandated in order to ensure that the SAR authorities have access to up- to-date information on the beacons considered as critical information for efficient SAR services. To do so, the owner/user of the 406 MHz must ensure that the information related to their beacons are kept updated all the time.
  2. To register 406 MHZ beacon , the applicant must complete the registration form. This form is accessible through GACA e-Services portal please, click here.
  3. Once the registration form is completed, it must be uploaded to GACA e-Services portal using the same link mentioned above.
  4. The beacon owner/user must adhere to the manufacturers' instructions and guidance related to self-test of the beacon and the transmission of its GNSS position. This will limit the likelihood of inadvertent activation of the beacon and battery depletion. However, for beacons requiring live operational test activation, a formal request must be submitted to Saudi Mission Control Center (SAMCC) at least two days in advance of the target date, using the beacon test form. To access the form please, click here.
  5. The beacon owner/ user must avoid inadvertent or accidental activation of the 406 MHz beacon to avoid unnecessary activation of SAR Operations.
  6. The beacon owner/ user must be familiar with the beacon functioning instructions to ensure that they are operated in accordance with the applicable rules.

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