Chopper downed in Afg.

[KBScobravert]

From AP news so hold your nose.

http://news.yahoo.com/deadliest-military-crashes-afghanistan-134451868.html

Some of the deadliest military air crashes in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion(at least this is where the stench stops) on Oct. 7, 2001:

—Aug. 5, 2011: A CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashes in eastern Wardak province, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos.

—Sept. 21, 2010: U.S. Army Blackhawk crashes in southern Zabul province, killing nine troops on board, including four Navy SEALs.

—May 30, 2007: U.S. Chinook crashes while under fire in southern Helmand, killing one British, one Canadian and five American troops.

—Feb. 18, 2007: U.S. Chinook carrying 22 U.S. soldiers crashes in southern Zabul province, killing eight and injuring 14.

—Sept. 2, 2006: British Nimrod aircraft crashes near Kandahar in the south, killing 14 crew members.

—May 5, 2006: U.S. Chinook helicopter crashes while attempting a night landing on a small mountaintop in eastern Kunar province, killing 10 U.S. soldiers.

—Aug. 16, 2005: Spanish helicopter crashes near the western city of Herat, killing 17 Spanish soldiers.

—June 28, 2005: U.S. helicopter is shot down in eastern Kunar province during a rescue operation, killing 16 special operations troops.

—April 6, 2005: U.S. Chinook helicopter crashes in a sandstorm near eastern Ghazni, killing 15 American troops and three civilian contractors.

—Dec. 21, 2002: German army helicopter crashes in Kabul, killing seven German soldiers.

—March 4, 2002: U.S. Chinook helicopter is shot down in eastern Afghanistan, killing seven American troops.

So glad that I don't fly anymore, the shackle and chain that ties me down to this desk prevents it. Today's incident is a HUGE blow to the SOCOM community. You can bet there will be some payback.

Missing from that list is are a few civilian only helo's that have gone down. One in Khandahar clipped another on take off and fell right there. Employees were strapped in and trapped in the fire. We had other employees from the other bird trying to pull their burning friends out to no avail. Most of them suffered serious burns and a lot of mental issues.

[talisman]

Was just about to post this. My dad was a crew chief on Chinooks in Vietnam. Pretty shitty.


KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A military helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos, the country's president said Saturday. An American official said it was apparently shot down, in the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war.

The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak late Friday. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene.

NATO confirmed the overnight crash took place and that there "was enemy activity in the area." But it said it was still investigating the cause and conducting a recovery operation at the site. It did not release details or casualty figures.

"We are in the process of accessing the facts," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman.

But a senior U.S. administration official in Washington said it was apparently shot down by insurgents. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated.

President Barack Obama mourned the deaths of the American troops, saying in a statement that the crash serves as a reminder of the "extraordinary sacrifices" being made by the U.S. military and its families. He said he also mourned "the Afghans who died alongside our troops."

The death toll would surpass the worst single day loss of life for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001 — the June 28, 2005 downing of a military helicopter in eastern Kunar province. In that incident, 16 Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a mission to rescue four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. Three of the SEALs being rescued were also killed and the fourth wounded. It was the highest one-day death toll for the Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II.

With its steep mountain ranges, providing shelter for militants armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers, eastern Afghanistan is hazardous terrain for military aircraft. Large, slow-moving air transport carriers like the CH-47 Chinook are particularly vulnerable, often forced to ease their way through sheer valleys where insurgents can achieve more level lines of fire from mountainsides.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday gave the first public word of the new crash, saying in a statement that "a NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province" and that 31 American special operations troops were killed. He expressed his condolences to President Barack Obama.
The helicopter was a twin-rotor Chinook, said an official at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was receiving his information from an Afghan officer in Kabul.
The crash took place in the Sayd Abad district of Wardak province, said a provincial government spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid. The volatile region borders the province of Kabul where the Afghan capital is located and is known for its strong Taliban presence.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that Taliban fighters downed the helicopter during a "heavy raid" in Sayd Abad. He said NATO attacked a house in Sayd Abad where insurgent fighters were gathering Friday night. During the battle, the fighters shot down the helicopter, killing 31 Americans and seven Afghans, he said, adding that eight insurgents were killed in the fight.

There have been at least 17 coalition and Afghan aircraft crashes in Afghanistan this year.

Most of the crashes were attributed to pilot errors, weather conditions or mechanical failures. However, the coalition has confirmed that at least one CH-47F Chinook helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade on July 25. Two coalition crew members were injured in that attack.
Meanwhile, in the southern Helmand province, an Afghan government official said Saturday that NATO troops attacked a house and inadvertently killed eight members of a family, including women and children.
NATO said that Taliban fighters fired rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire at coalition troops during a patrol Friday in the Nad Ali district.
"Coalition forces responded with small arms fire and as the incident continued, an air strike was employed against the insurgent position," said Brockhoff. He added that NATO sent a delegation to meet with local leaders and investigate the incident.

Nad Ali district police chief Shadi Khan said civilians died in the bombardment but that it was unknown how many insurgents were killed.
Helmand, a Taliban stronghold, is the deadliest province in Afghanistan for international troops.

NATO has come under harsh criticism in the past for accidentally killing civilians during operations against suspected insurgents. However, civilian death tallies by the United Nations show the insurgency is responsible for most war casualties involving noncombatants.
In south Afghanistan, NATO said two coalition service member were killed, one on Friday and another on Saturday. The international alliance did not release further details.

With the casualties from the helicopter crash, the deaths bring to 365 the number of coalition troops killed this year in Afghanistan and 42 this month.
___

[Gargamel]

Fuck... Prayers to the families...

Afghanistan
Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan Kills Members of SEAL Team 6

[helosailor]

A very sad day, indeed. And yes, you can bet there will be a bunch of jihadis going to collect their 72 virgils in short order. Hopefully some cajones will be grown by the powers that be and there will be some carpet bombing taking place.

[Denny]

Awful news...

[line-em-up]

...

Supposedly, the Seal Team 6 team members that killed Obama, I mean Osama, were on there.

31 US troops die in Afghanistan; many from unit that killed bin Laden

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44043847/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/?gt1=43001

[GhostTX]

[talisman]

Supposedly, the Seal Team 6 team members that killed Obama, I mean Osama, were on there.

31 US troops die in Afghanistan; many from unit that killed bin Laden
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44043847...sia/?gt1=43001

Damn.

[SlowLX]

Rip

[KBScobravert]

Seal Team Six, and the news gets worse by the minute. Since there is no report of the actual crash site I am holding out hopes some of these men are still alive.

[Gargamel]

Who the fuck loads up a slow ass CH-47 with SEALs and just hangs around like a big ass target in an enemy controlled area?

10 to 1 someone fucked up big time....

[KBScobravert]

Who the fuck loads up a slow ass CH-47 with SEALs and just hangs around like a big ass target in an enemy controlled area?

10 to 1 someone fucked up big time....

The SOAR CH-47s flown by the 160th are not THAT slow. Average top speeds of 150kmh is pretty fast for a cargo/troop carrier.
From wiki, take with a grain of salt
"Based on operational experience in Afghanistan, the CH-47 was found to be an effective substitute for the UH-60 Black Hawk as an assault helicopter. With its larger payload, range, and higher operating speed, one Chinook can replace up to five UH-60s in this role as an air assault transport"


The entire country is basically enemy controlled area unless you are orbiting the FOB/Camps.

This guys speculation is they tried to insert too close to their target who was prepared with RPG's. I would not say anyone "fucked up big time". But this is a sad lose.

[Forever_frost]

Damn. Huge loss to not only the SOCOM community but to our Republic as a whole. Those brave men died doing their duty, the greatest honor one can have.

[Gargamel]

This guys speculation is they tried to insert too close to their target who was prepared with RPG's.

You probably aren't far off....

A big loss for the fine warriors of the SEAL community....

[helosailor]

The CH-47 is "officially" the fastest helicopter in the U.S. inventory. Who knows what the fastest is unofficially.