Pilot who wrecked Black Hawk admits he was showing off

Associated Press ^ | May. 05, 2005 | JAYMES SONG

[Dubya]

WHEELER ARMY AIR FIELD, Hawaii - A seasoned Army pilot pleaded guilty Thursday to negligent homicide and other charges, admitting that he was showing off when his Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Afghanistan last year.

The aircraft's crew chief was killed in the Aug. 12 crash, and all 14 others aboard were injured, including the pilot.

At the start of his court-martial, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Darrin R. Rogers pleaded guilty to negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, failure to carry out a lawful order and destruction of government property. Military attorney Capt. Darwin Strickland entered the pleas on Rogers' behalf.

Before accepting the plea, the judge, Col. Debra Boudreau, asked Rogers whether he was showing off when the crash occurred.

"Yes, ma'am, basically I was trying to impress the guys in the back," Rogers said.

Rogers, 37, was at the controls of the UH-60 tactical transport helicopter and was flying over Chapman Air Field in standby, waiting to demonstrate for a visiting dignitary - Marine Gen. James L. Jones, supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command - how to deliver troops quickly to the battlefield. The $6 million Black Hawk plunged to the ground outside Camp Salerno near Khowst and was destroyed.

An earlier Army investigative report described the incident: Marines on board the helicopter twice told the pilot, "Fly hard." The first time he refused, but the second time the response from the cockpit came back: "You asked for it." The pilot then radioed, "Taking room to maneuver."

Rogers testified that he was waiting to begin the demonstration when he had the Black Hawk engage in a move where it ascended rapidly and then descended causing a feeling of weightlessness, or zero gravity.

A wheel chock rose off the floor and drifted into the cockpit, jamming the controls and preventing Rogers from being able to pull out of the dive, he said.

Investigators said Rogers conducted "maneuvers unnecessary for the mission."

Rogers could be discharged from the Army and could face more than five years in prison, although outside legal experts say prison time would be unusual for a case of negligent homicide.

Rogers, a pilot with 11 years experience and about 2,000 flight hours, declined to comment when reached by telephone Wednesday at his home in Mililani, a quiet residential community in central Oahu outside Schofield Barracks, where he is stationed with the 25th Infantry Division (Light). Rogers has been in the Army since 1985.

Galvan's widow, Sonya Galvan of Lubbock, Texas, briefly took the stand and began weeping after looking momentarily in Rogers' direction. She described problems her two children had suffered since their father's death.

The judge ordered a recess after she began to cry uncontrollably.

Before that, Galvan's parents, Blas and Nelda Galvan of Moore, Okla., sobbed as they testified in the sentencing phase of the trial. They said their son wanted to become a pilot. His mother said she was "angry that my son lost his life for no good reason, especially since he trusted Mr. Rogers with his life."

Before the trial, Sonya Galvan told The Associated Press that she hopes the court-martial makes other pilots aware of the consequences of their actions and she believes Rogers should be kicked out of the Army and denied his retirement pay.

"If just for a minute, if Rogers hadn't acted like a pilot and acted more like these were his children on board, this wouldn't have happened," she said. "He has no idea how much my kids are struggling, how this has affected our lives."

She said her two children stayed at home because she thought the trip would be too disturbing for them.

---

Associated Press reporter Ted Bridis in Washington contributed to this report.

[GOPGuide]

Ok,

[Polybius]

The huge majority of military flying accidents are because of this very same attitude. Showing off is something that is hard to avoid among the type of individuals who qualify to fly these aircraft. I could tell you of many stories where pilots have lost their lives, or millions of dollars worth of tax-payer funded weaponry, just because they wanted to have, or give someone else a thrill. It is just part of the game.

As young Navy medical officers at the Combat Casualty Care Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, we were paired up in two's and given the task of starting IV's in a small Army helicopter in flight. The teaching point was that the task is next to impossible so we needed put in all the necessary IV lines prior to the arrival of the med-evac helo.

When we had finished our IV try, the Army pilot looked back at us and yelled, "Are you two the last pair for the day?"

"Ummm.....Yeah."

"Aw, right!! Let's have some fun!!!"

It was all a blur after that.

[LibKill]

He screwed the pooch big-time.

Pilots have to have some of that hot-dog elan in their nature, but it must be tempered with a knowledge of their great responsibility to country and corps.

[mad_as_he$$]

Ahh the old military tradition of hotdogging. Cost us 2 F-18's this week to!

[a6intruder]

That is not what the accident board determined.

The pilot raised the flaps early on a fully fueled aircraft on a hot summer day. The net result was a loss of adequate lift in a turn and the aircraft stalled and crashed on Oceana Blvd.

It was not the first time that mistake has been made. We lost another one in Roosey Roads in the late 70's for the exact same reason.

Still pilot error mishap, but not "showing off".

[a6intruder]

Sounds like you were YG 71 or 72? I was YG 68. Wings in 70, A-4s at NTU for 2 years then A-6 RAG. VA-35 followed by RAG instructor, followed by VA-34. Then MATWING staff, War College and XO/CO tour of VC-6 at Norfolk. Then navigator, JFK and a tour at CINCLANTFLT as a CAPT and got my "Thank you for your service..you can go home now" letter from the SERB board. Defense contractor locally since then.

I do Delta from Norfolk to Tampa a couple times a year and the occasional Ft Lauderdale. Are you an east coast route kinda guy?

(yeah, I know I need that CAP, but you gotta admit you needed that good old KA-6D too)

Warm regards....a6intruder

[arasina]

What to do?

"If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again. If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator."

[F16Fighter]

"If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try again. If you need help, hang up and then dial your operator."

Amazing. Oh, sooo amazing.