Three members of a Coast Guard helicopter crew were killed in a crash off La Push on Wednesday morning, and a fourth crew member, who was pulled from the water soon after the aircraft went down, suffered a broken arm and a broken leg.
The injured crewman was airlifted from Forks to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center.
"He's awake and alert and very stable," hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson said of the man, who arrived at 12:47 p.m. He was in satisfactory condition with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed around 9:30 a.m. off James Island near the mouth of the Quillayute River at the northwest tip of Washington state. Two crew members were quickly rescued by five members of the Quileute Nation, who jumped into fishing boats and raced to the crash scene. One of the rescued men died after being taken ashore.
A third crew member was found around 11 a.m., and the fourth was pulled from the water at approximately 1:30 p.m., said Cmdr. Mark McCadden, chief of external affairs for Coast Guard District 13, which covers the Northwest.
...
According to one witness, who is vacationing at a resort run by the tribe, the Coast Guard helicopter hit a large power cable that runs from La Push to James Island just before it crashed.
McCadden confirmed that power lines, used to illuminate a sand bar at the mouth of the Quillayute River, were down, but said Wednesday afternoon it was too early to know if the cables contributed to the crash.
Though the crew may have been unfamiliar with the area, McCadden said Coast Guard members are highly trained and rely on maps and charts to navigate.
"Power lines and other features are on their nautical charts," he said.
gents. Your sacrifice won't be forgotten.
halls120 wrote:this is the second HH-60 crash for the CG this year, and both of them involved transits to/from their home Air Station. Odd, and something the service is struggling with.
halls120 wrote:this is the second HH-60 crash for the CG this year, and both of them involved transits to/from their home Air Station. Odd, and something the service is struggling with.
bhmbaglock wrote:halls120 wrote:this is the second HH-60 crash for the CG this year, and both of them involved transits to/from their home Air Station. Odd, and something the service is struggling with.
It seems odd that they wouldn't use a Herc to ferry them back and forth to NC for maintenance. Just guessing but you'd be putting 60-80 hours on the frame going back and forth plus a lot of wear and tear on the crew. Given the cost of operating a helicopter it seems like this would be more cost effective.
ANCFlyer wrote:halls120 wrote:this is the second HH-60 crash for the CG this year, and both of them involved transits to/from their home Air Station. Odd, and something the service is struggling with.
Yeah, this one was heading back to USCG Station Sitka . . . you spent time there, no? I have refueled there whilst I was playing with the DEA and AST. Was this bird Alaska based?
RIP to the Coast Guardsmen involved. Salute.
captoveur wrote:There might not have been a Herc handy.. Not only are we fighting two wars, but the Coast Guard is dealing with crap in the Gulf, tropical storms, and defending our shores from Cuban, and Hatian refugees along with fighting a war on drugs.
ShyFlyer wrote:captoveur wrote:There might not have been a Herc handy.. Not only are we fighting two wars, but the Coast Guard is dealing with crap in the Gulf, tropical storms, and defending our shores from Cuban, and Hatian refugees along with fighting a war on drugs.
All while being part of DHS...
Flights like these most likely count towards training/proficiency time so it's not all bad. Well, at least until something goes wrong.
• Lt. Sean D. Krueger, 33, of Seymour, Conn., the aircraft commander and a married father of three.
• Adam C. Hoke, 40, of Great Falls, Mont., who was an aviation maintenance technician, first class. He was single with one child.
• Brett M. Banks, 33, Green River, Wyo., an aviation maintenance technician, second class, a married father of two with a third child due in September.
The helicopter's co-pilot, Lt. Lance D. Leone, 29, of Ventura, Calif., survived the crash. He is married but doesn't have children.
