Posted on 05/06/2005 8:34:53 AM PDT by 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.
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Associated Press reporter Ted Bridis in Washington contributed to this report.
I wish they didn't, but zero tolorance for screw-ups means you lose in combat.
Personally, I have dropped an M1 tank in a lake, driven a BMP down a ski slope, backwards, and done a lot of other silly things.
You want soldiers that fight and win, or avoid danger at any cost?
B 3/325 INF AIRBORNE!
What were they flying? F9F Cougars?
Just kidding, although I think that may have been what they were flying the first time I saw the Blue Angels, although it could have been the F11F Tiger. Pretty sure the Thunderbirds were flying F-100s the first time I saw them, although it could have been F-84F's I suppose.
I think the current aircraft flown by each team are their "coolest" yet, the F/A-18 Hornet and the F-16 Falcon.
According to him, I "stole" the cruise "Top Hook" award from Chris Weutrich (sp?) with a 3.75 average landing grade. No bolts and no "no grades" the entire cruise. It was magical.
By the way, welcome to the proud group of retired Naval Aviators whose "steeds" have been retired...those lawn darts will never replace us.
Freegards...a6intruder
I am reticent to be all that hard on the pilot. It is one of those "walk a mile in my shoes" sort of things. What if the wheel chock had been secured.
Maybe murphy was involved at least a little.
When were you in VF-143? I did a Med cruise with them in CVW-1 on JFK in the late 70's.
Yeah, right. AP is making it up. Gimme a break!
Yes, I wonder just how dangerous this would have actually been had the wheel chock been tied down.
The more I read about this, the more I am convinced that the pilot was a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Like the driver that comes to a hard stop at a red light at an intersection at the exact moment his brake line ruptures, carrying him and his passengers into the intersection and death.
I know the story isn't made up but sometimes reporters like to add little things, thats why I said I would like to read the transcript.
But, who could not land that slow sucker? It aint like you had a lot of trouble seeing out of that greenhouse-nose at high alpha, nor were you saddled with engines that turned against you at the worst possible moment.
But yes, short fuzes is why fighter guys rarely get beyond Capt in this man's Navy, and RIOs and other pukes are driving the CVNs these days.
But you want us on that CAP, you NEED us on that CAP. YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!
Just like the flying dog.
http://www.alldumb.com/item/24/
I really don't think we are having a problem recruiting fighter pilots, or pilots in general. Correct me if I'm wrong.
AP wouldn't be the only news organization in the court room. If they got things wrong the other guys would eat their lunch.
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