USAF special operations Pilatus U-28 fatal crash in Djibouti

[Stratofreighter]

...official statement at http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7635
Indeed, no type mentioned (yet)...

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=7635

STATEMENT: U.S. Aircraft Crashes in Djibouti, Four Fatalities

By U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs

U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs

STUTTGART, Germany,

Feb 19, 2012 — During a routine flight, a U.S. military aircraft crashed approximately six miles from the Djibouti International Airport, Djibouti, February 18, 2012.

All four U.S. military personnel on board died.

The accident occurred at approximately 8 p.m. local. U.S. military personnel were dispatched to the scene to provide immediate response assistance and secure the crash site.

A safety board investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the incident.

The names of the service members will not be released until after the primary next of kin have been notified.

[Basman]

According to this link, it was a U-28:

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/ ... ti-022012/

RIP to the deceased soldiers.....

Bas

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/ ... ti-102412/

U-28A crash in Djibouti laid to crew error

Posted : Wednesday Oct 24, 2012 12:54:01 EDT

An Air Force investigation found that the crew of a doomed Pilatus PC-12 U-28A reconnaissance plane could not recognize the aircraft’s position in the air, which caused it to crash in Djibouti in Africa last winter.

An Air Force Accident Investigation report into the Feb. 18 crash, released Wednesday,
said that the Hurlburt Field, Fla.-based crew experienced “spatial disorientation” and failed to sense the position, motion or attitude of the plane, which prevented proper flight control.

The crash killed Capt. Ryan P. Hall, Capt. Nicholas S. Whitlock and 1st Lt. Justin J. Wilkens of the 34th Special Operations Squadron and Senior Airman Julian S. Scholten of the 25th Intelligence Squadron.

There were no malfunctions found in the $14.5 million plane, the Air Force said.

“The accident investigation found the crew never lost control of the aircraft,” the Air Force said in a release.

“There were no indications of mechanical malfunction.
The evidence demonstrated the crew did not recognize the position of the aircraft.
There were no indications the crew took any actions to control the descent rate and nose down attitude of the aircraft.”

No other details on the crash report were immediately available.

Air Force Special Operations Command flies 21 Pilatus PC-12 U-28As for manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2012/ ... ti-102412/