Alaska ANG UH-60 lost in Ted Stevens rescue aftermath...

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UPDATED: UH-60 lost in bizarre accident chain

The Alaskan Army National Guard lost a Black Hawk helicopter in the aftermath of the DHC-3T Otter crash.

Gary Parsons - 12-Aug-2010

August 12: AvWeb reports that the Alaskan Army National Guard lost a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter in the aftermath of the DHC-3T Otter crash that claimed the life of ex-Senator Ted Stevens in Alaska.

The reports says that during the rescue attempt of the five survivors from the crash, an earlier crash in the area involving a PA-32 light aircraft required another five survivors to be rescued.

Three of the five were airlifted by a HH-60 Pave Hawk involved in the Stevens crash, but payload restrictions meant a UH-60L from the 1-207th Aviation Regiment of the Alaskan (Army) National Guard was launched to recover the remaining two survivors.

However, on landing onto the Knik Glacier the aircraft slid and rolled over, the crew of three escaping. All were eventually rescued by Wednesday evening.

Air National Guard Master Sgt Jonathan Davis from the 212th Rescue Squadron, Alaskan Air National Guard was aboard the first HH-60 and attended the Stevens crash.

He told the Los Angeles Times that they flew through the night, refuelling midair amid clouds “hovering 200 feet off the ground”.

"We lost [visual] contact with the ground," he said. "That was probably the most stressful part of the whole mission for the pilots - having to deal with no references to the ground, it being dark, and having to transition to instrument flight.

It was quiet. None of the survivors were really talking.

They were pretty exhausted, they'd been out there all night and were dealing with their pain and ailments. The smell of fuel was on the ground."

Also: http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Se ... 115-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;