Has anyone discussed in any kind of detail the nature of the helicopter malfunction? That seems like kind of a big big deal despite the mission’s success. That helicopter shouldn’t have failed.
The photos seem to indicate the tail section was sheared by the wall. Impossible to guess if damage/malfunction or pilot error got it to that point. By the way, helicopters are notorious for failing at the worst of times. Just ask a helicopter pilot.
I saw an Aviation Week article being e-mailed around that said that it wasn't mechanical, or even pilot error really. It was supposedly a thermal anomaly right above the compound; for some reason the air above the compound (because it's hardpacked dirt?) was 15O F warmer than ambient temps all around the area, and the helicopter abruptly lost lift when they flew into it and the pilot couldn't get it back in time before they pancaked.
I read that the high walls blocked air circulation, created a vortex or something. Makes sense to me with little that I know, but they would not admit the truth if it was a pilot error or mechanical any way.
Not sure the pilot knew there were 7 or 8 foot tall vinyard tressels made of 1” or larger aluminum pipes in the area of compound he tried to abort land on, and it was a split second decision.
ON a aviation forum a BH pilot mentioned it is possible for the downwash on the BH to create voids at that altitude, and the modified BH was already laden with 500 to 1000 pounds of additional weight in the experimental design config, plus was at full load capacity with the SEALs team.
This pilot said looked like the BH crashed nose down and the tail slammed onto the wall after the blades hit the ground... due the the body being exceedingly close to the outer wall that split the BH apart, and the angle of separation on the tail section. Just a rumor 3rd hand, but sounded legit and the this pilot/forum poster had thousands of posts and no one called him out on it.
The morning after the announcement Gen. McCaffrey was on one of the morning shows stating that the helicopter had taken ground fire.
It’s possible to get a helicopter hovering close to the ground into a situation where it can’t maintain lift (it’s called vortex ring state) if it’s already descending—basically the blades get into air disturbed from their own downwash and that kills the lift. Pilots are trained to avoid it, but if that aforementioned temperature anomaly caused the Blackhawk (if that’s what it was) to start descending while hovering to fast-rope the team down, maybe that’s what happened. Or it could be something as simple as the helicopter settled and hit an obstruction, or snagged the tail on that high wall. We may never know, at least until the eventual book comes out years down the road.
}:-)4
It seems to me I read something about the chopper losing lift as it lowered to the compound. I’m not a pilot but it seems it might have had something to do with the compounds walls and the lack of air to the rotors???
A pilot would know.