1996 — March 7, US Army Chinook from Fort Campbell Crashes near Olmstead, KY– 5

–5  AP. “Settlement…reached in Logan copter crash lawsuit.” Bowling Green Daily News, 2-24-1999, 3A

–5  Baugher, Joseph F.  1992 USAF Serial Numbers.  1-15-2010 revision.

–5  The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Military helicopter crash claims five.” 3-8-1996, 2.

 

Narrative Information

 

Baugher: “Boeing-Vertol MH-47E Chinook….0465 (M.3713) was formerly CH-47C 76-22677.  (60th SOAR) crashed March 7, 1996, Ft. Campbell during night training sortie. 5 killed.”  (Baugher, Joseph F. 1992 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-15-2010 revision.)

 

March 8, The Capital: “Olmstead, KY. — An Army helicopter crashed in a wheat field during a training flight in heavy snow and exploded, killing all five crew members aboard. The MH-47 Chinook chopper went down late last night near this south-central Kentucky town after taking off from Fort Campbell, about 20 miles from the crash site. The chopper was from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at the fort, said Lt. Col. Ken McGraw, a spokesman for the Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C. The Army was investigating the crash and it was not immediately clear whether the snow was a factor.” (The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Military helicopter crash claims five.” 3-8-1996, 2.)

 

Feb 24, 1999, AP: “Louisville (AP) – The Boeing Co. will pay $4.4 million to the wives of five Fort Campbell soldiers killed when their helicopter crashed into a Logan County filed three years ago, an attorney said. Michael Sawicki, a Dallas attorney and one of three representing the families of the soldiers, said Tuesday [Feb 23] that a settlement had been reached last week.

 

“Family members originally were told the March 7, 1996 crash of the multimillion-dollar Chinook MH47E helicopter was due to pilot error. Army investigators later ruled that human error was not a factor. ‘Everybody feels vindicated,’ Sawicki said.

 

“The wives of Tracey Tidwell, Pierre Desroches, Walter Fox, Bradley Beem and pilot William R. Monty Jr. sued Boeing, builder of the Chinooks, and the Eaton Corp., which made circuit breakers used in the helicopters. Eaton has not settled and remains a defendant….

 

“Sawicki said Boeing will acknowledge no wrongdoing in the settlement, which is expected to be filed in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green. A federal judge must approve the agreement….

 

“The crash occurred as the helicopter crew prepared for a runway approach in heavy snow about 25 miles from Fort Campbell. Investigators originally said the pilot, who had not flown in the previous 18 months and had flown just 1½ hours in that model helicopter, put it in too tight a turn after becoming disoriented.

 

“In 1997, Army investigators found that water could seep through seals in Chinook models and damage the power distribution panels. After hosing down the $27 million helicopters to check for leaks, the investigators found water in several panels. Boeing fixed the problem at the Army’s request.

 

“Sawicki said a finding of pilot error in the Fort Campbell crash was wrong from the beginning. He said that Fox, who was Monty’s instructor during the flight, was an experienced pilot. ‘It just didn’t make any sense that he would allow the aircraft to be flown straight into the ground,’ Sawicki said. It was determined that water had leaked into the cockpit and corroded a metal pin, shorting a circuit breaker.

 

“A December article in the Army newsletter Flightfax reported that electrical system problems accounted for 36 minor accidents in all Chinooks during the previous five years. According to Flightfax, changes have been made to protect all Chinook power distribution panels from moisture.” (Associated Press, Louisville, KY. “Settlement reported reached in Logan copter crash lawsuit.” Daily News, Bowling Green, KY, 2-24-1999, p. 3A.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press, Louisville, KY. “Settlement reported reached in Logan copter crash lawsuit.” Daily News, Bowling Green, KY, 2-24-1999, p. 3A. Accessed 2-3-2016 at: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1696&dat=19990224&id=HvIaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=30cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6776,3265273&hl=en

 

Baugher, Joseph F. 1992 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-15-2010 revision. Accessed 3-14-2012 at:  http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1992.html

 

The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Military helicopter crash claims five.” 3-8-1996, 2. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=27283949