1983 — July 10/11, US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Crash, South Fox Island, MI– 6
–6 Baugher, Joseph F. 1968 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 revision.
–6 Chinook-helicopter.com. “68-15845.”)
–6 Daily Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA. “6 soldiers believed killed in crash….” 7-12-1983, 3.
–6 Hawk Eye, Burlington IA. “’Copter lost in lake.” 7-11-1983, p. 1.
–6 Ottawa Herald, KS. “Bodies Recovered From Copter Crash.” 7-12-1983, 8.
–6 Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tokyo. “Six GIs believed dead in CH-47 helo crash.” 7-13-1983, 6
–6 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “1st Night Flight Fatal To Crew.” 7-12-1983, p. 14.
Narrative Information
Baugher: “Boeing-Vertol CH-47C Chinook….15845 (B.557) in accident at South Fox Isle, Michigan Jul 11, 1983. All 6 onboard killed.” (Baugher, Joe F. 1968 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 rev.)
Chinook-helicopter.com: “160th, Accident: (CONUS, South Fox Isle, Michigan) A flight of 2 CH-47C aircraft were on a night NVG low level training mission over a lake. After deviating from the planned route, the lead aircraft struck a hill on a small island in a level attitude at 100 knots. The aircraft disintegrated on impact with fatalities to all 6 occupants and was consumed by the post crash fire.” (Chinook-helicopter.com. “68-15845.”)
Newspapers
July 11, UPI: “South Fox Island, Mich. (UPI) – An Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying six members of the 101st Airborne Division crashed on an island in northern Lake Michigan about midnight Sunday. Rescue teams today reported no sign of survivors. ‘Right now there are rescue teams on the scene from the Coast Guard, the Army and Leelanau County. They are reporting no indication of survivors,” said Major Bill Mulvey, public relations officer for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., where the soldiers were headquartered. “We’re not ready to report all six were dead but I am expecting to report shortly,” he said. “We expect to have that within the next couple of hours.”
“The helicopter, carrying six crew members, was taking part in routine overwater night navigational training maneuvers when the accident occurred at midnight on South Fox Island in Lake Michigan about 50 miles northwest of Traverse City, Mulvey said.
“The aircraft was not scheduled to land on the island but it was not known if the pilot was attempting to reach land, he said. Another helicopter participating in the same training session reported the crash and then returned to the Coast Guard base.” (Hawk Eye, Burlington IA. “’Copter lost in lake.” 7-11-1983, p. 1.)
July 12, AP: “Traverse City, Mich. (AP) — An Army helicopter crashed and burned on a densely wooded island in Lake Michigan, and all six crew members were believed killed, officials said Monday….
“”It’s been reported to me there were no adverse weather conditions” in the area at the of the crash, Mulvey said. It is not known how long the craft had been airborne when the crash occurred….” (Daily Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA. “6 soldiers believed killed in crash of helicopter.” 7-12-1983, p. 3.)
“South Fox Island, Mich. (UPI) — Six crewmen killed in the crash of their Army CH-47 Chinook
helicopter on tiny South Fox Island were making their first night flight over Lake Michigan when they went down… Maj. Bill Mulvey, division public information officer at Fort Campbell, Ky., said the 101st Airborne Division crew had flown one training session during the day Sunday and was making its first night run over the lake when the helicopter crashed about midnight Sunday. He said it was not immediately known how long the craft had been in the air. Mulvey said a three-man team from the U.S. Army Safety Center in Fort Rucker, Ala., would inspect and photograph the accident site in northern Michigan before bodies of the accident victims could be taken to a Coast Guard station at Traverse City for identification.” (Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “1st Night Flight Fatal To Crew.” 7-12-1983, p. 14.)
July 12, AP: “Traverse City, Mich. (AP) – The burned bodies of six Army crewmen on a helicopter training mission were recovered from an island in Lake Michigan after the aircraft crashed in flames. officials said….
“Investigators from the Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala. Arrived Monday afternoon on densely wooded South Fox Island, 16 hours after the helicopter went down… The island is about 45 miles south of Traverse City.
“The cargo helicopter crashed at 11:57 p.m. Sunday [July 10] on the southern part of the island…The accident occurred during “routine over-water night navigational training,” said Yeoman Bob Seekins of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station at Traverse City.
“The hilly island has no permanent residents, Leelanau County Sheriff Fred Buehrer said. Hunters occasionally travel to the island in the fall.” (Ottawa Herald, KS. “Bodies Recovered From Copter Crash.” 7-12-1983, p. 8.)
July 13: “South Fox Island, Mich. – A helicopter carrying six members of the 101st Airborne Division crashed on an island in northern Lake Michigan just before midnight Sunday….The CH-47 Chinook…like the men, was based at Fort Campbell….
“”As I understand it, that portion of South Fox Island is very heavily wooded,” Mulvey said. “The other helicopter reported the crash to the Coast Guard in Traverse City and that craft, not being able to land or do anything, returned to Traverse City.”….
“The two helicopter crews arrived Saturday at the Traverse City Coast Guard station. They performed a training exercise during daylight hours Sunday, then went out again at night. They were to have trained in Michigan for about a week, Mulvey said.
“It was not known if the pilot of the downed craft was attempting to reach land when the crash occurred. The chopper was not scheduled to land on the island, Mulvey said.
“It was the first time that 101st Airborne pilots had gone through over-the-water navigational training on the Great Lakes, he said….” (Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tokyo. “Six GIs believed dead in CH-47 helo crash.” 7-13-1983, p. 6.)
Sources
Baugher, Joseph F. 1968 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-10-2012 revision. Accessed 3-5-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1968.html
Chinook-helicopter.com. “68-15845.” Accessed 3-9-2012 at:
http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/Research/CH-47_Cross_Reference_1.xls
Daily Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA. “6 soldiers believed killed in crash of helicopter.” 7-12-1983, 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=26639835
Hawk Eye, Burlington IA. “’Copter lost in lake.” 7-11-1983, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=147961873
Ottawa Herald, KS. “Bodies Recovered From Copter Crash.” 7-12-1983, 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=136072685
Pacific Stars and Stripes, Tokyo. “Six GIs believed dead in CH-47 helo crash.” 7-13-1983, p. 6. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133267642
Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN. “1st Night Flight Fatal To Crew.” 7-12-1983, p. 14. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=109324488