On November 15, 2022, in accordance with the approved plan-scenario of coordination exercises for organizing and conducting search and rescue operations (works) dated November 03, 2022, exercises were conducted by JSC "Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan" with the support of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the following interested organizations:

- the crew and representatives of JSC “Kazaviaspas”, who are on duty in the Kyzylorda search and rescue area;

- coordination center for search and rescue (Astana) and air traffic service of the Kyzylorda branch of RSE "Kazaeronavigatsia";

- ground search and rescue forces of the emergency department of the Kyzylorda region;

- the emergency rescue team of the airport of Kyzylorda.

A representative of the Civil Aviation Committee was invited as an observer.

According to the legend of the exercises, the elements of the search and rescue operation of the crew of a light aircraft, conditionally in distress at a distance of about 30 km from the airport of Kyzylorda, were worked out.

During the exercises, the above-mentioned services worked out the methodology of interaction during search and rescue operations, methods of searching for a disaster victim, selection of landing sites for search and rescue aircraft and evacuation of victims from the scene of the event. To conduct the exercises, the Mi-8 helicopter on duty of JSC “Kazaviaspas” was involved with rescuers of the search and rescue squad of the emergency department of the Kyzylorda region, including a canine crew. During the exercises, special signs were used to facilitate the full understanding by the crew of the search and rescue helicopter of information about the number and condition of the victims.

The search and rescue operation was completed successfully, the place of the conditional disaster of the aircraft by the forces and means involved, despite difficult weather conditions, was found within one hour from the moment of the announcement of the disaster stage. Evacuation of the conditionally injured was carried out to the departure airfield with the development of elements of medical support for the transportation of conditionally injured. The results of the exercises indicate a high level of interaction of all search and rescue forces and means on duty involved in search and rescue support of flights on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to the results, an analysis was carried out, where the participants of the exercise noted the need for their regular conduct in the future to improve their skills.

Summing up the results of this exercise is also the end of the annual cycle of various kinds of exercises in this area, such as related (13), aimed at checking channels of interaction, and coordination (4), with partial deployment of search and rescue forces. The results of the exercise cycle will be submitted to the Coordinating Council of State Administration Bodies (Defense, Emergencies and Civil Aviation) in order to take further measures to improve the search and rescue flight support system.

In general, it is noted that such exercises are an element of the national search and rescue flight support system, created on the basis of Annex 12 "Search and Rescue" to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Such a system functions due to the interaction of public administration bodies (defense, emergencies and civil aviation) and the search and rescue forces and means of various organizations involved. The purpose of the system is to take prompt response measures (the Golden hour rule) in the event of aviation accidents and disasters to rescue passengers and crew of aircraft in distress. For this purpose, operational regional plans for search and rescue operations have been developed throughout the country, search and rescue aircraft on duty and rescue teams have been deployed at airfields, whose actions are coordinated at the national level.

JSC "Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan" expresses its gratitude to all organizations that took part in the exercises.