View Single Post
Old August 9th, 2011 #67
Donnie in Ohio
Switching to glide
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Morrison Hotel
Posts: 9,396
Blog Entries: 11
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian View Post
It does seem notable that of all the helicopters flying around Afghanistan this one should be shot down. And moreover shot down without survivors. Big troop carrying helicopters are multi-engined, and this one was flown by USAF Special Operations pilots, so it must have been knocked down by something drastic.
Not necessarily. Even small arms fire can down a helicopter, especially at low altitude.

Chinooks have been brought down by RPG rounds in Afghanistan before. If a system affecting the flight/control capabilities of the helicopter is hit, it is going to crash, period. The best pilots in the world can't overcome the laws of physics. Helicopters don't glide.

Quote:
Missiles like Stinger track engine heat so usually striking the rear of the helicopter, allowing capable pilots the chance of making a successful crash-landing.
"Successful crash-landing" isn't a term used very often when describing a helicopter being struck by any sort of SAM, I would wager. Chinooks are huge, and the thing was loaded with aviation fuel & ammunition.

If it was taken out by a shoulder-fired SAM, that is very, very bad news for anyone flying a helicopter anywhere above Afghanistan.

Quote:
A remarkable thing that so many of the SEAL team associated with the Bin Laden operation should be killed in such a way.
They were associated by being in the same unit, but apparently none of the men who died took part in the actual OBL raid.
__________________
"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder

Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; August 9th, 2011 at 01:06 PM.