Posted on 01/28/2002 2:11:53 PM PST by kattracks
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A U.S. military helicopter carrying 24 people crashed as it tried to land in rough terrain in northern Afghanistan after leaving Kandahar late on Monday, a U.S. military official said on Tuesday. U.S. Army Colonel Frank Wiercianski told reporters at Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan that all 24 people on board the Chinook CH-47 helicopter had been evacuated and 14 of them had been sent for medical treatment. No one was killed and none of the injuries sustained were life-threatening, he said. "I'm very relieved to report that 100 percent of all personnel were evacuated from that site and were taken to a medical facility," he said. He declined to say where the accident happened, as the night operation was still under way. There were 18 passengers and six crew on board. Wiercianski did not say how many of the 24 were U.S. troops. "None of the injuries sustained were life-threatening and hopefully all will be back on duty very soon," he said. Wiercianski said the aircraft hit a hole when it landed and tipped on its side. --> |
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My Infantry training was OJT sort of speak, which is a heck of a way to learn it.
Tactical aviation is dangerous, even in peacetime and as much as I loathe the impeached former Coward in Chief I'd love to blame him for every mishap, but I can't.
The last thing that you would want would be to use lights on your aircraft to check out the LZ. That would make the entire aircraft a visible target, and it would alert the bad guys where our good guys are landing.
You need to ask Dustoff45 for his expertise here re landing a helicopter and what can happen.
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