CH-53 crashes, kill 31

[flyboy 28]

Just on the news

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/worl ... -iraq.html

[Issflareman]

Our thoughts and prayers are with them :-/

[ChuckMajik]

Sure it's sad, but why were they flying in sandstorms in the first place?
That's just asking for something to go wrong.

[Issflareman]

Well, ya know, it might have just popped up but you're right, they should be grounded in a sandstorm.

[beefhole]

Yea, yea they were asking for it, they shouldn't have done this, they shouldn't have done that. You weren't there.

Thoughts are with em.

[Nexus]

It seems like the US have suffered more casualties in helicopter (or any other vehicle) crashes than in combat.

:-/

My thoughts are with their families

[ATI_7500]

I think the Stallion needs a new nickname,like 'widowmaker'. First Kabul, now this.  :-/

[Issflareman]

Still less than the Osprey though.

[Ivan]

so it wasnt a crashknight... (sea knight with rotten rotor center)

[Rivers]

This is really sad maybe its time for a new helicopter for the US forces, designed to operate in sandstorms and bad weather.

[ATI_7500]

Maybe the simply shouldn't fly in countries with sandstorms anymore.

Shutting up now.  :-X

[Scottler]

Maybe the simply shouldn't fly in countries with sandstorms anymore.

Shutting up now.

And maybe rather than sitting and enjoying the freedoms that they gave you all, you should show them a little respect and not second guess the reasons they were doing what they were.

[Issflareman]

Don't worry, i wasn't sayin they had it coming and i think they do deserve more respect.

[beaky]

Bad news. Terrible.  I feel for these guys- helicopter ops in that environment have got to be very challenging.
 As far as the cause, and what's to be done: not all helo flights in blowing sand lead to disaster, and war produces all kinds of fatal mishaps, like the soldier who was killed recently when somebody's gun went off inside a vehicle.  Nobody on this board knows exactly what went wrong.  And in order to have forces deployed worldwide, they've got to operate in rough conditions  sometimes.  It sucks, but that's war.