Posted on 10/23/2009 3:47:37 AM PDT by csvset
VIRGINIA BEACH
One person was killed and eight others were injured when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship during joint training with the Army.
The services were doing "fast rope" exercises 20 nautical miles off Fort Story about 8 p.m. Thursday, sliding down a rope from helicopters and landing on the fast combat support ship Arctic, when one of the Army helicopters made a hard landing, said Capt. Cate Mueller, a Navy spokeswoman.
It was unclear whether the injured were from the Navy, the Army or both. A Navy news release this morning says that members of a Naval Special Warfare Unit were involved in the training.
A second Army helicopter carried the injured to a Norfolk hospital.
The Arctic is back at Norfolk Naval Station this morning and the helicopter involved in the crash remains onboard, the release says.
The Navy has scheduled a news conference for later this morning.
Lauren King, (757) 446-2309, lauren.king@pilotonline.com
For more details, return to PilotOnline.com later.
Prayers going up!
Helicopters on ships is a scary business. Even in perfect conditions.
Prayers up.
Not technicaly Navair. Prayers up for the soldiers and sailors involved.
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Fixed that. Rotating wings ain't natural.
Heh. True enough. It’s said that every helicopter spends it’s entire useful life searching for the scene of the crash.
I was in a near-crash... a wild and very hard landing on a CG cutter (in crappy weather) a couple of decades ago. I don’t think I’ve fully un-puckered even yet. :-)
Prayers up for the lost and injured.
That was fully as unnerving as my COD ride's first attempt at a trap and seeing the side of the carrier out the window.
Updated: One killed, 8 injured in copter crash on Navy ship
VIRGINIA BEACH
One person was killed and eight others were injured when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed on a Navy ship during joint training with the Army yesterday evening.
This morning, Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander of the Military Sealift Command, said one of two Army helicopters involved in the training was approaching the ship during an exercise about 20 nautical miles off the Fort Story about 8 p.m. It crashed, and ended up on its side on the ship, Buzby said.
A small fire broke out on the ship’s deck but was quickly extinguished, he said.
No one on the ship was injured. Buzby did not give details on the injured or deceased servicemen. He would not say where the helicopters were based, but said there were Navy personnel on the Army helicopter.
Four of the injured are still in the hospital this morning, he said. Some of the injured were taken last night by another Army helicopter to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, but Buzby gave no further information.
The services were doing “fast rope” exercises yesterday evening, sliding down a rope from helicopters and landing on the fast combat support ship Arctic, when one of the Army helicopters crashed.
Members of a Naval Special Warfare Unit were involved in the training.
The crash is being investigated, Buzby said this morning. Military personnel are interviewing witnesses, including those on the ship and the crew of the second helicopter.
There were no reports of bad weather in the area at the time of the crash, according to weather reports.
The Arctic, which is at Pier 11 this morning, will be repaired. The ship has no home port.
For more details, return to PilotOnline.com later.
Source URL (retrieved on 10/23/2009 - 08:33): http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/updated-one-killed-8-injured-copter-crash-navy-ship
I spent a fair amount of time flying in helos off of little Destroyer Escorts (not as aircrew, though).
It’s very unnerving going from a relatively stable platform in the air, to a bobbing, pitching, rolling platform after landing. It feels like you’re going to be pitched right over the side.
Prayers up.
USNS Arctic
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