Blackhawk Down

[Guest]

ADF cannot two years without loosing 'another' chopper

BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER ACCIDENT NEAR FIJI

Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston

Wednesday 29 November 2006

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is my sad duty to inform you of an accident involving a helicopter on HMAS Kanimbla.

An Australia Army Blackhawk helicopter was attempting to land on the deck of HMAS Kanimbla when the accident occurred and was lost into the sea late this afternoon.

The helicopter was conducting a training flight.

There were ten Army personnel on board the aircraft. No Air Force or Navy personnel were involved in this accident.

Nine personnel were recovered. One person remains missing.

One of the persons recovered, sadly later died as a result of injuries while being treated by specialist medical staff on board HMAS Kanimbla.

Of the other eight personnel recovered, seven were injured. Their injuries were not of a serious nature.

Recovery operations are continuing. HMAS Newcastle, operating with HMAS Kanimbla, is continuing to search the area for the missing person.

We are currently in the process of notifying the next of kin of the deceased and missing people.

The immediate Next of Kin have been informed. However, details of personnel will not be released until other family members have been informed.

HMAS Kanimbla is currently deployed in the waters off the South-West Pacific near Fiji to be ready to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of Australians in Fiji.

HMAS Kanimbla is equipped with a medical facility.

The ADF requests that the media respect the families’ need for privacy during these difficult times.

The cause of this accident is unknown. We have commenced a full investigation into this accident.

Further details of the accident will be released as soon as they are available.

The men and women on board HMAS Kanimbla were preparing and training so they could provide support to Australian citizens.

Their efforts are indicative of the way we do business in the ADF and of course they where there ready to provide caring and necessary support in challenging circumstances.

We are deeply saddened by this accident and the grief it has caused some of our families and all of those affected by the accident.

Here we go with another 12 months worth an Official Board of Enquiry, to determine the cause of an incident, along with so many others of late throughout the ADF that should never of happened.

D.

[Iconic Bionic]

Another sad day for the Army and Navy. The helicopters and alot of ADF equipment is becomming very old. Our strategic strike bombers the F-111 are more than 30 years old.

One issue about the crash is I think an Army piolt was landing an Army helicopter on a Navy ship, which they rarely do in an helicopter not desinged for it. Landig on a ship travelling at speed, bobbing up and down in the ocean and with the deck rolling from side to side is very difficult.

[Guest]

Yeah but the F111s have had their PCMS Reflashed!!!!

[Iconic Bionic]

Yeah but the F111s have had their PCMS Reflashed!!!!

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Should be right then for another 30 years.

[RHR]

In all honesty what to they really expect out of THIRTY YEAR old technology. Its a wonder why there havent been more of these type of miss haps.

Feel sorry for the families who have lost their loved ones

[veczar]

Labor spent $1.7 billion on commision housing in the last six or so years why not put that towards better military equipment...

[Lumpen]

Labor spent $1.7 billion on commision housing in the last six or so years why not put that towards better military equipment...

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and the war in Iraq has cost the best part of twice that in three years.

You know the yanks billed us for the weapons we dropped on iraq for them?

lumpy

[RHR]

Little johnny must of knocked back mr Bush on

[1dar3u]

One issue about the crash is I think an Army piolt was landing an Army helicopter on a Navy ship, which they rarely do in an helicopter not desinged for it. Landig on a ship travelling at speed, bobbing up and down in the ocean and with the deck rolling from side to side is very difficult.

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HMAS Kanimbla carries black hawks everywere and the pilots have landed on the back of it and manoora more times than most navy pilots, I know for a fact that they land on the flight deck of Kanimbla wene its rockin and rolling and the sea state would not have been hazardous during the accident. I served with both Kanimbla and Monoora and wittnessed many landing opps by the army pilots. There seems to be alot of people in this country that are miss-informed about these two ships and there army detachment. they serve as a anphibious transport ship they always have a army detachment with black hawks and ary pilots.

It is a great loss for the ADF, my condolences go out to the families friends and crew.

[Romulus]

What are the SAS doing on the Kanimbla? Kinda strange to have them there for a potential evacuation situation.......