JP 3-50 National Search and Rescue Manual Vol I - US Navy

B. Often an examination of search effort after recovery of
survivors will provide information for improving SAR techniques and
procedures, and for passing experiences to other SAR coordinators. SAR
case studies should also be considered when a search failed to locate a
target that was subsequently found, a mission is believed to be of
unusual interest due to new methods or procedures used or unusual
experience gained, or a mission fails to locate a target with resulting
loss of life.
C. The studies, normally brief, deal only with factors considered
contributory to the purpose of the study, together with recommendations
for improving the SAR system. Some areas of interest include initial
error in position of the distressed craft, drift computations compared
with actual drift, search area determination, thoroughness of area
coverage including cumulative POD, search patterns used, use or lack of
detection aids, communications difficulties, reasons for failure to
locate the target, performance of CASP and other computer SAR programs,
and SRU efficiency, quantity, and quality.
1160 SAR COMMUNICATIONS
All communications equipment, including RCC telephones, should be
attached to a multichannel tape recorder with a timing channel. This
allows the RCC to review information received over a voice system, and
may resolve disputes about what information was received. Tapes should
be retained per agency directives. When it is suspected that tapes may
be evidence in a judicial dispute, originals should be retained.
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