HH-60G Kandahar 2007
 
UH-1F Eglin AFB 1966   UH-1F DMAFB, AZ 1967   UH-1F Malmstrom AFB 1967   UH-1F Eglin AFB 1969   UH-1F Edwards AFB 1971   UH-1F Ellisworth AFB 1971   UH-1N FT. Bragg 1973   HH-1H Hill AFB 1974   UH-1F F.E. Warren 1975   UH-1F Ellsworth AFB 1982   UH-1F Whiteman AFB 1982   UH-1N Bahamas 1984   UH-1 Ellsworth AFB 1986   UH-1N Edwards-Jan-1991   UH-1N Edwards-Oct-1991   UH-1N Kirtland AFB 1996   UH-1N 1998   UH-1N F.E. Warren AFB 1999   UH-1N Kirtland AFB 2002   TH-lH Ft. Rucker 2009   UH-1N Malmstrom AFB 2010   UH-1N Kirtland AFB 2011   UH-1N Minot AFB 2013   CH-3C Malmstrom AFB 1965   CH-3C Sheppard AFB Mar. 1967   CH-3 Sheppard AFB Nov. 1967   CH-3E Midair in Laos 1970   HH-3E Korea 1973   HH-3E Elmendorf AFB 1974   HH-3E Iceland 1979   CH-3E Patrick AFB, 1984   HH-3E Osan 1984   HH-3E 29-Palms 1988   HH-3E Kadena 1989   CH-3E DMAFB 1989   H-5G Ladd AFB 1951   H-5H Maxwell AFB 1953   H-5 New York 1958   H-13G Niagara Falls 1955   H-13 Bryan AFB, TX 1957   H-19A San Marcos 1952   H-19A O'Neill, NB. 1953   H-19B Alexandria, LA. 1954   H-19B Austria 1954   H-19B France 1954   H-19B Korea 1954   H-19B March AFB 1954   H-19B Rhine Main AB 1955   H-19B Eglin AFB 1955   H-19 Skaneateles Lake, NY 1956   H-19 Ashiya Japan 1957   H-19 Edwards AFB 1957   H-19 Niagra Falls 1959   H-19 Sheppard   H-19B Loring AFB 1960   H-19 Beal AFB 1963   H-19 Larson AFB 1963   H-19 Saigon, RVN 1964   YH-21 Thule AB 1953   H-21 Goose Bay 1954   H-21A San Marcos TX 1955   H-21B Tennesse 1955   H-21 San Diego, CA 1956   H-21 Alaska 1957   H-21 Goose Bay 1958.   SH-21 Greenland 1958   H-21 Elmendorf AFB 1958   H-21 Dugway Proving Grnd. 1958   H-21 Goose Bay 1959   H-21 Greenland 1959   CH-21B Otis AFB 1959   H-21 Indian Springs AAF 1961   H-21 Luke AFB 1961   H-23B Moody AFB 1953   H-43A James Connally AFB 1959   H-43B Loring AFB 1961   H-43B Westover AFB 1961   HH-43B MacDill AFB, FL 1964   HH-43B Stead AFB 1965   HH-43B Clark AB, PI 1966   H-43 Sheppard AFC, TX 1966   HH-43B Phan Rang 1968   HH-43B MacDill AFB 1969   HH-43B Hill AFB 1973   HH-53C Eglin AFB 1969   CH-53C Germany 1975   CH-53C Germany 1976   HH-53C Woodbridge 1977   HH-53C Kadena AB 1979   HH-53B Kirtland AFB 1981   HH-53C Kirtland AFB 1982   MH-53 Philippines 1984   CH-53C Pope AFB 1984   HH-53C Hickam AFB, HI 1985   HH-53C Hill AFB 1986   HH-53H Nellis AFB 1986   MH-53J Korea 1995   HH-53B Vance AFB 1996   HH-53B Cherry Point 1998   MH-53J Ft. Bragg 1999   MH-53M RAF Mildenhall 2000   MH-53 Durango CO 2002   MH-53M USNS Kanawha 2002   MH-53M Afghanistan 2003   MH-53M FOL Hurlburt Fld 2003   MH-53M Kuwait 2003   MH-53M Hurlburt Fld. 2007   UH-60A Pope AFB 1987   HH-60G New York 1991   MH-60G Antigua 1991   HH-60G Great Salt Lake 1992   HH-60G Davis-Monthan AFB 1994   HH-60G Korea 1994   HH-60G Indian Springs 1998   HH-60G Al Jabar AB 1999   HH-60G Avon Park 2001   HH-60G Mt. Hood 2002   HH-60G Afghanistan 2002   HH-60G Afghanistan 2003   HH-60G Afghanistan 2004   HH-60G Angel Fire, NM 2005   HH-60G Kandahar 2007   HH-60G Afghanistan 2009   HH-60G Okinawa 2013   HH-60G Lakenheath 2014   HH-60G Lakenheath 2014 1   HH-60G Lakenheath 2014 2   Ellsworth AFB 1955   Hawaii crash 1963   Patuxent River NAS 1960   Randolph AFB 1957   Spokane River, WA 1959   Tyndall AFB 1961   Wright-Patterson 1956   Spokane River 1972  


HH-60G, SIN 91-26401


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

AIRCRAFT  ACCIDENT  INVESTIGATION

33rd EXPEDITIONARY RESCUE SQUADRON

KANDAHAR AIR BASE, AFGHANISTAN

29 November 2007


On 29 November 2007, at 2040 hours local time (1610 Zulu time), an HH-60G, SIN 91-26401, on a medical evacuation mission to pick up a two-year-old Afghani female, sustained a hard landing approximately 75 miles northeast of Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. The mishap crew and mishap aircraft were assigned to the 33d Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, 451st Air Expeditionary Group. The mishap resulted in two members of the crew sustaining non-life-threatening injuries, and damage to the aircraft estimated between $3.7 million and $6 million.

 

The mission was flown at night under low illumination. A US Army Apache helicopter provided escort functions and communicated with a coalition ground party at the accident site. To mitigate the extreme darkness and to illuminate the landing zone, the Apache was tasked with deploying infrared rockets. Because permission from the ground party to fire the rockets was denied or the request was not understood, the infrared rockets were not deployed.

 

Subsequently, following two reconnaissance passes over the landing zone, but despite not having rocket illumination, the mishap crew elected to attempt a landing. During the approach, the mishap crew encountered "brownout" conditions that affected visibility during the final descent. With an abnormally nose-high attitude, the tail wheel contacted the ground first. To prevent inadvertent rearward aircraft movement, as the mishap pilot caused during a brownout approach several weeks earlier, he abruptly reduced collective control inputs, resulting in violent, accelerated ground contact.

 

The impact occurred at over ten "G" forces, and tore the forward-looking infrared sensor from the bottom of the fuselage. However, no abnormal engine or systems indications were observed, and no structural damage was detected by the mishap crew during an external visual inspection at the site.

 

After considering the potential enemy threat in the area, the mishap crew elected to continue the mission. The mishap medics retrieved the patient and determined her condition was misdiagnosed or exaggerated . The actual extent of the burns on the girl's back was relatively minor and non-urgent. The mishap crew then flew eight miles to Forward Operating Base Tarin Kowt without incident,

 

Causation. Pilot error was the cause of the mishap. Additionally, however, squadron leadership was contributory in that it failed to identify and mitigate a known difficulty of the mishap pilot in accomplishing brownout approaches and landings. Also contributing to the mishap was squadron leadership failure to maintain effective command and control over mission execution. This failure was illustrated by the decision to attempt the approach without the planned use of risk-mitigating flares, and by the decision to fly the aircraft following impact - both decisions being made without coordination or approval from squadron leadership. Finally, the entire mishap mission was based on a distorted patient condition that did not warrant the accepted risk of the mission.



            



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