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MEDEVAC Heli hits cell tower, loses skid, lands on mattresses
Some quick thinking by the pilot and firefighters to get crippled chopper safely on the ground. (www.mysanantonio.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Reminds me of the fairy tale about the pea under the mattress. Great job guys.
I have flown by that 'mickey mouse' unlit tower many times over the last 20 years! It is probably about 130 ft. or so.....sits in the middle of a large hwy interchange, on a direct line to the old BAMC (SAMMC) ground pad, if you are approaching from southeast.....and if you are on an approach to land, and not familiar with local hazards, and the ground surrounding it is all grassy and totally dark, which it is.......yeah, it could be missed! I know where it is and give it a wide berth always.....Great flying after impact!!! 'But for the Grace of God....!'
Kudos to SAFD.....great organization!!!
Kudos to SAFD.....great organization!!!
"Honey, you're not going to believe the size of the bedbug I just saw on the mattress..."
Not the first time its been done. Soc Trang, Vietnam,1965. Over eager pilot took off too quickly and lost lift. Hooked skid shoes of a heavily loaded UH1B gunship on PSP (perforated strip planking) and tore off both skids and aft cross tube. A crew chief came up with the idea of putting mattresses on rotor blade shipping boxes. Worked out just fine! The unit was Co. A, 101st Aviation Batallion, 101st Airborne Divison. I have photos.
Roger Nale, T-Bird 2
Roger Nale, T-Bird 2
That's my old unit; the Comancheros. I was with them 70-71. I got one skid shoe hooked. Damn near turned me over. I can't remember what gave, probably the shoe, but the blades got real close to the ground. I was way overloaded and had to land to the psp
without a hover and probably scooted a little forward. Fun days. Lol
This landing turned out to be a sleeper.