Newsday (New York, NY) March 12, 2003
11 Die in Ny Crash; Soldiers aboard helicoter were on war training mission
By Ann Givens. ALBANY BUREAU;
Albany Bureau Chief Jordan Rau contributed to this story, which was supplemented with Associated Press reports.
Watertown - An Army combat helicopter carrying 13 soldiers on a training mission crashed yesterday afternoon at Fort Drum, the upstate New York military base that has been busy preparing troops for an assault on Iraq. Eleven aboard were killed, a base spokesman said.
Maj. Daniel Bohr said two survivors were taken to the hospital in Watertown, the closest city to the base, which is near the Canadian border, about 70 miles north of Syracuse.
All those on the helicopter were assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, four from the Aviation Brigade and nine from the Second Brigade, which is infantry, said Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty. Officials last night declined to release their names pending notification of their families.
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed shortly before 2 p.m. in calm weather, a base spokeswoman said. Rescue crews located the site of the crash, in a snow-covered area of the base, at 3:30 p.m., and spotted one passenger walking around on the ground.
Hilferty said the helicopter pilots did not communicate that there were problems before it went down. "The first call I got was that it was missing. It just disappeared," he said.
He said he believed the helicopter was the third of three flying in formation when it crashed.
"I would like to extend my condolences to the families of our fallen comrades and I want to assure you that we will fully investigate this terrible accident," Maj. Gen. Franklin Hagenbeck, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, said last night.
In recent weeks, the Army has been using the fort's wilderness terrain to train its 10th Mountain Division infantrymen for the kinds of conditions they might encounter in Iraq.
Close to 1,000 soldiers and reservists have been deployed from the base in recent weeks. On Monday, dozens of reservists in the military police and medical companies were the latest to be dispatched abroad.
The UH-60 Black Hawk is a staple of the military fleet, used to transport troops. It can also be equipped with weapons and used in attacks.
Already this year, two Black Hawks have crashed overseas during training missions. One went down in Afghanistan Jan. 30, killing four soldiers. Another crashed Feb. 25 during night training in the Kuwaiti desert during a sandstorm, also killing four.
"My heart goes out to their loved ones," said Sgt. Paul Merritt, of Easton, Pa., speaking of yesterday's crash, as he stood pumping gas at a station off the post. "A soldier realizes they are risking their life any time they put a uniform on. We train for combat. Combat is dangerous. Training is dangerous."
Albany Bureau Chief Jordan Rau contributed to this story, which was supplemented with Associated Press reports.
A Black Hawk Down - A look at the Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, one of which crashed yesterday near upstate Watertown:
Facts and Figures
Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
First Flown: 1974
Service Life: 25 years
Length: 64 feet, 10 inches
Height: 17 feet
Maximum Level Speed: 145 mph
Flight Ceiling: 19,000 feet
Crew: Three or four
Maximum Capacity: 15
Role:
The Black Hawk is the Army's main utility helicopter, used for air assault, air cavalry and medical evacuation. Advanced technology makes it easy to maintain in the field.
Advantages:
The Black Hawk is versatile enough to fly in all weather conditions. Its protective armor can withstand hits from 23-millimeter shells.
Troubled Fleet
Some incidents that have haunted the Army's Black Hawk fleet recently:
o Feb. 25: Black Hawk crashes in training exercise in Kuwait, killing four.
o Jan. 30: Four U.S. soldiers die when their Black Hawk crashes during training mission in Afghanistan.
o Oct. 19, 2002: Black Hawk crashes in Pakistan, killing two Army Rangers.
o Feb. 12, 2001: Two Black Hawks collide in training mission in Oahu, killing six.
o Oct. 19, 2000: Black Hawk used by Colombian military crashes, killing 22 government soldiers.
o April 14, 1994: Two Black Hawks downed in friendly fire, northern Iraq, 26 dead.
o Oct. 3, 1993: Two Black Hawks shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia. Eighteen U.S. soldiers die.
SOURCES: Staff reporting, www.globalsecurity.org
GRAPHIC: 1) Photo by www.globalsecurity.org - Black Hawk 2) Newsday File Photo / Kathy Kmonicek - A Black Hawk helicopter like this one went down near upstate Fort Drum, killing 11 (A08 Q). Chart - A Black Hawk Down (see end of text).
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