U.S. Navy Boeing-Vertol UH-46D Sea Knight on the fantail of the ammunition ship USS Suribachi (AE-21). The helicopter experienced a mechanical faliure during an ammunition offload from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off Virginia (USA), in September 1992. Only one crewman was injured.
John McCain?
ReplyDeleteA good gymnast always sticks the landing.
ReplyDeleteI flew with that aircrewman when he was pulling shore duty at HT-18 in Whiting. He said when he came to, he was hanging from his safety harness under the helo.
ReplyDeleteHoly Bat Crap Robin! Very lucky that it caught on the ship instead of going into the water.
ReplyDeleteGot their money’s worth out of those birds. Maybe too much time
ReplyDeletePaul J
Yah think?? :)
DeleteSeriously, the last production models came off the line in 1971, and those birds were ancient high-time relics even when I was in the Corps in the mid-80s.
Flew on one that had (no sh*t!) Ba Mui Ba SVN beercans riveted over NVA bullet holes in the fuselage from the 1960s, labels facing inboard through the holes, and the shiny outside sprayed USMC-approved low-viz gray.
The flightline guys used to put tarps under parked birds, because they dripped and leaked more fluids from more places than a lot full of Harleys.
They are the reason helicopter jockeys refer to their birds as "A collection of parts, flying in a loose formation".
The Engine Division of Vertol got a very strongly-worded letter.
ReplyDeleteThe Airframe Division got a case of Jack.
I was stationed aboard Ike when that accident happened. OC division. I had completely forgotten about it.
ReplyDelete