U.S. says two-man crew of downed helicopter missing

Reuters | 3/24/03 | John Chalmers

[kattracks]

AS SAYLIYA CAMP, Qatar, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. General Tommy Franks said on Monday that the two crewmen of an Apache Longbow helicopter shot down south of Baghdad were missing.

Baghdad aid earlier that Iraqi farmers had shot down two U.S. helicopters south of the capital and vowed to show the pilots on television, just as it did with other captured and killed soldiers on Sunday.

"The fate of the crew is uncertain right now. We characterise that crew, two men, as missing in action," Franks told a news briefing at Central Command in Qatar.

He said the helicopter was one of between 30 and 40 attacking a particular area.

He denied that it had been shot down by farmers but did not say what had forced it out of the air in Iraqi-held territory. ((Reporting by John Chalmers,

[joesnuffy]

I heard the pilots were recovered

[Calpernia]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030324/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_helicopter_19

>>>>
At the Pentagon (news - web sites), Air Force Master Sgt. Grant Windsor confirmed that one Apache was missing. He could give no details on the incident and said he had no information on the status of the pilots. He said the Defense Department is evaluating the tape being shown on Iraqi TV.


******Men in Arab headdresses holding Kalashnikovs automatic rifles danced around the aircraft. ******


Iraqi state television also showed pictures of two helmets apparently belonging to members of the crew, as well as documents and other papers lying on the ground.


...

[Wright is right!]

The pilots were NOT shown on Iraqi TV, which indicates that they are not in Iraqi hands. Further, the craft looked pretty much intact, which indicates that it was piloted to that spot and abandoned. The highly-trained and resourceful crew is no doubt being actively sought and it shouldn't be long before we show back up to either lift the bird out or destroy it.

Michael

[Blood of Tyrants]

Let us pray that they escaped and are hiding with friendlies.

[Porterville]

Franks maybe baiting the Iraqi resources by saying they haven't been recovered.

[montag813]

Yeah, keep those stupid helicopters coming. Why bomb the sh*t out of these areas when you can send in American boys to die? After all, Iraqi "civilians" are much more valuable. This makes me sick. Why are we pussying around? Where is the massive ordinance which was used in the Afgan campaign? Was the MOAB just a bluff?

And thanks again to the "great" "General" Powell. Because you threatened to quit unless we went to the UN, Iraq had 9 months to prepare for our boys which they never should have had. Thanks alot schmuck.

[demnomo]

Iraqi farmers firing at an Apache helicopter, my hiney! More like Republican Guards with heavier weaponry dressed as civilians...a tactic that is becoming more and more popular.

Tactics that appear to be working on a lot of media types who seem to revel in Coalition losses, call skirmishes big battles and feel that the Coalition is suffering from major set-backs because the war has not ended in 48 hours with less than zero casualties on either side!

[Illbay]

Franks was horribly patient with the

---

"journalist" who repeated the stupid Iraqi claim that a bunch of farmers with shotguns had shot down this helicopter.

I guarantee you: the chopper went down due to mechanical failure.

[Illbay]

What a jerk you are.

Fortunately, hind-brains like you aren't running the war.

[demnomo]

Take a deep breath, quit yer Monday morning quarterbacking and read this article posted yesterday by FRee Republic's own British friend and ally, MadIvan: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/873376/posts

[Coop]

Yeah, keep those stupid helicopters coming. Why bomb the sh*t out of these areas when you can send in American boys to die? After all, Iraqi "civilians" are much more valuable. This makes me sick. Why are we pussying around? Where is the massive ordinance which was used in the Afgan campaign? Was the MOAB just a bluff? And thanks again to the "great" "General" Powell. Because you threatened to quit unless we went to the UN, Iraq had 9 months to prepare for our boys which they never should have had. Thanks alot schmuck.

Heck, why don't you just call Bush "Hitler?" Your little rant sounds exactly like the filth coming out of the other side. Use a MOAB on a village, huh? Or one helicopter? Thank God you're not running this war.

[Cold Heat]

I was going to post a statement about this last nite, but I decided to wait until today in order to be sure.

Have you noticed that ack-ack fire is nearly non-existent in Bagdad?

The Iraqis apparently moved their guns to the southern front. They caught us a bit by surprise, and this will not happen again. They were expecting normal levels of fire and found out this fact a bit too late to adjust.

I would expect cluster bombs from the 52s will prepare the field for any further use of choppers.

[demnomo]

I guarantee you: the chopper went down due to mechanical failure.

That would be the most plausible explanation. Although, I wouldn't be suprised (or get myself into a hysterical mode) to find out that it was brought down by a hand-held surface to air missle.

In Afghanistan, there have been a few copter crashes blamed on "sand darts." Apparently, sand is not kind to machinery. No suprise, there...

[Poohbah]

I've seen the picture.

Not a sign of explosive detonation on the airframe. The landing site wasn't disturbed significantly, indicating a controlled landing (instead of a crash).

[q_an_a]

Leaflet time. Let the people know that you control 50% of the country, add a few pictures, the pictures are of returning leaders run out of the country then tell them to end the leadership to create a new Iraq. After all the guns shoot both ways.

[Cold Heat]

War is a fluid thing, and mistakes or miscalculations are made. The level of ack-ack was miscalculated.

The asses moved their guns from Bagdad to the front and caught us off guard.

It won't happen again, and your criticisms are sorta stupid.

You should be supportive, not negative. This is not a political debate that you can manipulate. It is a war!

How many people have died and were injured on U.S. highways during this same period? 400-600-800?

Put things into perspective! War is not safe, nor can all things be anticipated. The Iraqis will pay dearly for this resistance, and we will collect.

[bucephalus]

"Franks may be baiting the Iraqi resources by saying they haven't been recovered."

I think you're right. I can't get real upset if our guys tell some "stretchers" or if we bait them in any number of ways. Surely we'd like to destroy those darn armaments on the side of the downed beast.

[Illbay]

IMO if it were a "Stinger" or similar, the craft wouldn't appear to be in such robust health.

[Illbay]

That's the way it appeared to me as well.

Obviously the 'celebration' was staged.