On 2006-03-30 19:16:07 -0500, The OTHER Kevin in San Diego skiddz "AT"
adelphia "DOT" net said:

http://www.jumpingpixels.com/helicoptercrash.html

1st one looks like a tail rotor strike or failure as the tail rotor
isn't spinning after the 1st half turn. Wonder what happened to the
crew member who bailed/got ejected.....

It looks like one of the commandos in the back stepped out, ducked
down, ran for it and ducked down again on the far side of the crashing
Puma. Good reflexes, not so good judgment, but it looks like he came
out OK.

2nd one was pure pilot error.. Came in too fast and too low, got hung
up and executed a perfect dynamic rollover.

Too fast, too low, bounced off the deck, and he'd have gotten away from
it if he didn't snag his right MLG in the perimeter net. He tries to
pull it up and manages to bend it pretty good, meanwhile creating that
perfect fulcrum for the dynamic roll. There were seven fatalities on
this one, five Marine Recon NCOs, one attached Navy Corpsman, and the
Marine crew chief (although most of the crew and pax lived).

Interesting thing is that he was NOT attempting to land. He was trying
to come in low and then pop-up for a fast rope insertion. More info
he

http://www.forcerecon.com/ch46accident.htm


3rd one appears to be tail rotor failure.

3rd one, the H-3, was a UH-3 tail number 744 of HC-3, "Desert Duck." A
ref to the mishap below; navy called it Loss of Tail Rotor Control. It
was a Class A loss (no kidding -- you see it dive for Davy Jones's
Locker) but no fatalities. Quite a surprise considering how
disorienting the crash must have been, but then the Navy has a good
water survival program for r/w aircrew.

http://www.safetycenter.navy.mil/med...ishapstats.htm

cheers

-=K=-

Rule #1: Don't hit anything big.