Quote :

Crew unhurt in Chinook emergency

The British crew escaped injury in Afghanistan after a Chinook helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, the Ministry of Defence says.

The crew managed to safely evacuate the helicopter after an engine fire forced the landing in Helmand on Wednesday.

The MoD said it was not ruling out enemy fire as a possible cause for the emergency landing.

The aircraft was deliberately destroyed by a coalition airstrike to keep it out of enemy hands.

The crew were picked up by another Chinook immediately after the incident.

The Ministry of Defence said that in the short term other UK aircraft in the region, and those operated by Nato partners, would be able to cover the "helicopter lift requirement".

"In the medium term, the UK's joint helicopter command is already planning the replacement of this airframe," it said.

daffy duck wrote:

good that the crew are all right the pilot must have been good to land it safely but what about the chinook though

Quote :

A British helicopter crew has escaped without injury after their Chinook was forced to make an emergency landing in Helmand province late last night following an engine fire.


The incident happened after two helicopters dropped off cargo and passengers a few miles north of Sangin.

Shortly after take-off the four-strong crew of one Chinook saw cockpit indications of an engine fire during take-off.

The pilots skilfully continued to manoeuvre the helicopter about 1km away from the danger zone to safely make an emergency landing.

All four crew onboard managed to evacuate the aircraft safely. They were recovered by the second helicopter which took them out of the area.

The helicopter was later deliberately destroyed by a coalition airstrike to deny it to enemy forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said:

"It is a measure of the bravery and skill of the pilots that, operating under enemy fire, they were able to complete their task and calmly move to safety.

"Their cool under pressure has ensured that their lives were saved and minimal damage was caused. Despite the loss of one aircraft, the brave crew have thwarted insurgents' attempts to destabilise the elections with a shocking spectacular loss of British life."

The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation and enemy action has not yet been ruled out.
In the very short term other UK aircraft in Regional Command (South) and those operated by our NATO partners will be able to cover the helicopter lift requirement. As part of the routine programme to sustain our Chinook fleet in Afghanistan, an additional Chinook had already arrived in theatre

bolty wrote:

A little bit more info from the MOD website

Quote :

A British helicopter crew has escaped without injury after their Chinook was forced to make an emergency landing in Helmand province late last night following an engine fire.


The incident happened after two helicopters dropped off cargo and passengers a few miles north of Sangin.

Shortly after take-off the four-strong crew of one Chinook saw cockpit indications of an engine fire during take-off.

The pilots skilfully continued to manoeuvre the helicopter about 1km away from the danger zone to safely make an emergency landing.

All four crew onboard managed to evacuate the aircraft safely. They were recovered by the second helicopter which took them out of the area.

The helicopter was later deliberately destroyed by a coalition airstrike to deny it to enemy forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said:

"It is a measure of the bravery and skill of the pilots that, operating under enemy fire, they were able to complete their task and calmly move to safety.

"Their cool under pressure has ensured that their lives were saved and minimal damage was caused. Despite the loss of one aircraft, the brave crew have thwarted insurgents' attempts to destabilise the elections with a shocking spectacular loss of British life."

The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation and enemy action has not yet been ruled out.
In the very short term other UK aircraft in Regional Command (South) and those operated by our NATO partners will be able to cover the helicopter lift requirement. As part of the routine programme to sustain our Chinook fleet in Afghanistan, an additional Chinook had already arrived in theatre

Lets hope it isnt BN

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7:49pm UK, Thursday September 24, 2009

Geoff Meade, defence correspondent

A defence minister has confirmed to Sky News that a British helicopter lost in Helmand last month was brought down by the Taliban.

The RAF has confirmed that it was the first time an RAF Chinook has been brought down by enemy fire in 27 years of service.

One of the twin rotor's two engines was knocked out by a shoulder-fired rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) as the aircraft flew low over Kajaki at night on August 19.

With one engine ablaze, and a crewman wounded by shrapnel, the pilots were able to continue flying and landed over a mile away.

They were rescued and the aircraft destroyed on the ground by air strike to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

Equipment minister Quentin Davies said only new, more powerful engines trial-fitted to the downed aircraft allowed it to limp back.

"We had a Chinook attacked, struck by an RPG. The aircraft was able to fly two kilometres out of harm's way only because we'd fitted new engines," he told Sky News.

RPGs, a favourite weapon of the Taliban, are one of the helicopter crews' most feared threats.

"Most missions you'll come under fire. It's happened to me," said Flight Lieutenant Eleanor Lodge, a Chinook pilot with four tours of Afghanistan to her credit.

"With RPGs you don't know you've been targeted until you see the flash of the explosion nearby."

The new power plants are part of a £400m programme to improve the lifting capacity of the Chinook fleet.

The first will not be operational in Afghanistan until 2011