Blackhawk "Hard Landing" 1 fatal

As a Marine I didn't spend much time on Army Blackhawks. Of the handful of times that I was on one we hit the ground against the pilot's wishes twice. They are the reason I will not fly on a helo now.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the man that lost his life and his friends and family.
 
Without sounding too flippant, the one thing I learned in the Army was that helicopters and machine guns were overrated and are best avoided.
 
Sorry to hear it. Has been a bad week for mil aviation.......many of our newer dudes knew the guys flying the MH-53, likely many more knew the MH-60 pavehawk guys in England, and we still have a brother in the hospital from a crash a couple days back, dealing with some pretty unusually serious injuries. Sorry to hear it.
 
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The only advise I ever heard and later observed about military helo's was that if its leaking oil that's good. Worry when it stops leaking oil.

I had exactly one oily helo ride in the military. It was from my boat in the Persian Gulf to Baharain to catch a commercial charter home to process out of the Navy. Best helo ride ever and ill never forget the sight of my boat disappearing over the horizon.

'Bong bong...plank owner, departing!'
 
Captain said:
I had exactly one oily helo ride in the military. It was from my boat in the Persian Gulf to Baharain to catch a commercial charter home to process out of the Navy. Best helo ride ever and ill never forget the sight of my boat disappearing over the horizon.
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That IS one of the best feelings ever....I remember watching my first ship get smaller while looking out the back of an H-46.

I've flown in way too many helos. H-46s, several H-60s, H-53s....only things that scare me are the MV-22s.
 
Fearless Tower said:
That IS one of the best feelings ever....I remember watching my first ship get smaller while looking out the back of an H-46.

I've flown in way too many helos. H-46s, several H-60s, H-53s....only things that scare me are the MV-22s.
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The last time I was at KMSO there were a few Osprey's there. One of the lead pilots from Miramar was from there and had somehow convinced someone to let him lead a training mission to KMSO so he could see his folks. I jokingly asked "You givin' free rides today? I'll swap you for a ride in the Bo" one of the crew guys said "Be careful what you ask for"

The V22 pilot said he had plenty of Bo time… i found that odd.
 
BillTIZ said:
What is odd about a V22 pilot having Bo time?
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The remark he made to me was something along the lines of "I got my commercial in a Bo"

He was a young guy, I guess I thought those guys went from 0 to V22 pilot 100% in military planes/training programs.
 
NVG training(likely what they were doing) solo and especially in formation even bothered me a little at 17. Five years as a crew chief in Blackhawks. Looking back, it is a miracle I am still here. We had some very rough landings at night, just thankful they mixed up the experience levels a little. I am still in contact with a CW4 that saved us from hitting a radio tower during a snow storm in Germany. I check out a fellow crew chief's site occasionally.

http://armyaircrews.com/blackhawk.html
 
bartmc said:
The remark he made to me was something along the lines of "I got my commercial in a Bo"

He was a young guy, I guess I thought those guys went from 0 to V22 pilot 100% in military planes/training programs.
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The flight training syllabus is indeed 99% in military aircraft. That said, some of us flew before joining the military. When I began military flight training, I had been flying for 6-7 years already.
 
RV10flyer said:
NVG training(likely what they were doing) solo and especially in formation even bothered me a little at 17. Five years as a crew chief in Blackhawks. Looking back, it is a miracle I am still here. We had some very rough landings at night, just thankful they mixed up the experience levels a little. I am still in contact with a CW4 that saved us from hitting a radio tower during a snow storm in Germany. I check out a fellow crew chief's site occasionally.

http://armyaircrews.com/blackhawk.html
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I can attest to the hard landings in Germany. At night, landing to a field covered in snow with little contrast is no joke; trying to come in fast enough to stay ahead of the snow cloud but not too fast to do damage to the aircraft. Had friends who slammed the aircraft down doing snow landings and busted search lights off. Fortunately the 60 has some robust gear.

I knew several of the guys that are posted on armyaircrews.com. I remember our flight commander telling us in the UH-60 course that we will personally know someone in flight school who will die by doing this profession. That was a true statement. It's just the nature of the business.
 
As former Marine Corps Helicopter Aviator I find your fear of helicopters to be laughable. Continue your trash-talking, you only serve to show how stupid you are.
 
SoloEqs said:
Concur. Too many ways that it can have a Bad Day, even BEFORE coming into range of the Golden BB.
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That and unlike USN helo crews, the USMC aircrews don't even bother to brief the pax on how to egress the thing.
 
That's easy. Please exit via the nearest gaping hole. Please be mindful of big spinny things while exiting.

To be fair, I quit giving pax briefs a long time ago. Although our exits are quite obvious.
 
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darrell said:
That's easy. Please exit via the nearest gaping hole. Please be mindful of big spinny things while exiting.

To be fair, I quit giving pax briefs a long time ago. Although our exits are quite obvious.
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We tried passenger briefing cards over there. Yeah, that ended being a mess.
 
Leave it to the helo driver to think the stupid things are safe. I've been on 46s that I would feel bad putting the enemy in- probably would be a violation of the laws of war. But hey, Marines are cheaper than new air frames!
 
WornOutShooter said:
Leave it to the helo driver to think the stupid things are safe. I've been on 46s that I would feel bad putting the enemy in- probably would be a violation of the laws of war. But hey, Marines are cheaper than new air frames!
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I honestly would rather be a pax in a 46 than an MH-60S.
 
Henning said:
:confused:
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NSDQ… Night Stalkers Don't Quit… its the motto of the 160th SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment)… If the Green Berets, or Seals or other special forces need airborne insertion by helo, most of the times it will be this unit that carries them.

Mogadishu's Blackhawk Down was 160th SOAR.
160th-soar.png
 
" I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me, for they loved to fight, fought to win, and would rather die than quit." Night Stalkers Don't Quit!

God bless the family, and the fallen.

I spent the last half of my career here, and I've been though this kind of tragedy with this unit. The family is wrapped up in arms tighter than you can imagine, as they should be.







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