US Coast Guard Helo Crash

[alouette]

This message just came off CNN.

USCG Jayhawk helicopter hit the water in Alaska. :(


http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/09/copter.crash/index.html

[Labpilot]

Sad news from a tough SAR region:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/09/freighter-helicopter041209.html


6 missing as helicopter crashes during freighter rescue
Last Updated Thu, 09 Dec 2004 09:00:04 EST

ANCHORAGE - Six people are missing after a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter plunged into the Bering Sea Wednesday while trying to evacuate crew members from a disabled bulk freighter.

A coast guard cutter rescued four other people after the helicopter crashed, and took them to a nearby Alaskan island for medical treatment.

The freighter Selendang Ayu, carrying more than 1.6 million litres of heavy bunker oil as well as a load of soybeans, broke in two Wednesday after running aground on Unalaska Island.

It had been drifting without power on the Bering Sea since Tuesday.

Heavy sea swells and high winds hampered its attempts to drop anchor, and later contributed to the crash of the HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter.

A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said the helicopter's four-person crew had evacuated 18 of the 26-member crew when the aircraft went down.

Two crew members remained on the freighter, but the other six went down with the helicopter.

It is not known whether the four people who were rescued were coast guard crew, members of the freighter's mostly Malaysian crew, or a combination of the two.

The search continues for the missing six people, though at this time of year it would be unusual for them to survive more than three hours in such cold seas.

Environment officials are also worried about the prospect of fuel spilling from the freighter and sullying the sea around the island, which is home to sensitive sea lion, fish and crab populations.

Written by CBC News Online staff

[Gomer Pylot]

According to the FAA website, the four rescued were 3 USCG crewmembers and 1 civilian. That site has been badly wrong before, though.

[Daysleeper]

Update

Just seen a video of this on ABC news last night. Its increadable that anyone got out . The front of the Jayhawk is completely smashed. High seas and very cold water (news said 28 deg f?) . They were amazingly lucky that a second jayhawk had been sent to assist and had just arrived on scene when they went down.
It appears all 4 of the chopper crew survived. 3 who were on board during the crash and the winchman (or whatever the Americans call them) who was still on the deck of the freighter with the ships master. Those lost were from the ships crew. The "crewman" interviewed said the engine noise suddenly decreased and he just had time to think "uh oh" and then they hit the water.

[SASless]

Big oil spill operation cranking up there...calls for helicopters were received today as far south as Washington State area. Gladly gave up the chance to fly a MD-500 to the scene.....too much cold salt water for my old bones to cross in a single engine helicopter. I did my time at Unga Island years ago....and though Cold Bay was the end of the earth.....Dutch Harbor is even further out into the Aleutians.:(

[HeloEagle]

Daysleeper, your info is off just a little. Three Coast Guard crewmembers were rescued after the crash, but they were the Pilot, Co-pilot, and Flight Mechanic (he is the one that runs the hoist--that is what we call it). The Rescue Swimmer (the forth crewman) was already onboard the ship loading ship survivors into the hoist basket, so that is why he was not involved in the crash. You are correct that only one ship crewman survived the crash, as they were not wearing survival suits. The Jayhawk had already made a couple of trips taking the crew off, and the only ones left onboard were the Captain of the sinking ship and the Rescue Swimmer when the crash occured. A wave that broke over the bow splashed up and flamed out the engines, and the crew was then rescued by an HH-65 Dolphin, not another Jayhawk.

[alouette]

So we are talking water ingestion...:eek: Oh my