Thursday, July 14, 2022

Ouch!

 


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.

8 comments:

  1. A good gymnast always sticks the landing.

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  2. I 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.

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  3. Holy Bat Crap Robin! Very lucky that it caught on the ship instead of going into the water.

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  4. Got their money’s worth out of those birds. Maybe too much time
    Paul J

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    Replies
    1. Yah think?? :)

      Seriously, 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".

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  5. The Engine Division of Vertol got a very strongly-worded letter.
    The Airframe Division got a case of Jack.

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  6. I was stationed aboard Ike when that accident happened. OC division. I had completely forgotten about it.

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