2015 Charikot helicopter crash

Last updated
Charikot Helicopter Crash
Bringing shelter.jpg
U.S. Marines and Nepalese Army personnel unloading supplies from a UH-1Y similar to the one involved.
Accident
Date12 May 2015 (2015-05-12)
SummaryVisual flight into IMC
Site Charikot, Nepal
Aircraft
Aircraft type Bell UH-1Y Venom
Operator United States Marine Corps
Call signVengeance 01
Registration 168792 SE-08
Flight origin Dolakha District, Nepal
Destination Kathmandu, Nepal
Occupants13
Passengers9
Crew4
Fatalities13
Survivors0

On 12 May 2015, a US Marine Corps Bell UH-1Y Venom of Camp Pendleton-based HMLA-469 squadron crashed in the Charikot region of Nepal during Operation Sahayogi Haat, a humanitarian relief effort following the earthquake that had struck the region earlier. All 13 occupants were killed. [1]

Contents

Accident

The following is a statement from PACOM: "On 12 May, at approximately 10 p.m. JST, a UH-1Y Huey with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 in support of Joint Task Force 505 was declared missing while supporting Operation Sahayogi Haat." Nepal's army, struggling with the aftermath of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit on 25 April, had deployed about 400 troops into rocky, forested terrain after the US helicopter was reported missing. [2] A news release from III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan stated that the chosen route, which may have been made because one or more of the injured was in need of urgent treatment, took the UH-1Y Huey helicopter for a brief period over unfamiliar terrain in unstable weather. [3] The helicopter crashed in rugged terrain about 8 miles north of Charikot on a mission to evacuate casualties caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake. [4]

Aircraft

The helicopter had arrived in Nepal on May 5. As part of Operation Sahayogi Haat, the U.S. military contributed three Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopters, four Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, four Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, four Air Force C-130 Hercules and four Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft to the relief effort. [5]

Passengers and crew

The flight crew comprised US Marine officers as pilots and several enlisted members, including two combat correspondents. [6] Also aboard were two Nepalese soldiers and five injured civilians in need of urgent treatment. [7] [8] [9]

Aftermath

According to CNN, then Nepali Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said "You know, our terrain is so ... difficult, that is why (it crashed). We feel so sorry for that." [4] In honour of the fallen, the Heritage Room of the U.S. Embassy, in Kathmandu, Nepal was renamed to "Vengeance Hall" after the crashed helicopter. [10]

On May 15 an "Open Letter" from the People of Nepal remembering the Marines was published. It was thereafter replied to by Peter W. Bodde, Ambassador of the United States of America to Nepal. [11]

Investigation

The helicopter crash was attributed to the crew's decision to fly the most direct route to Kathmandu. The chosen course required a brief period over unfamiliar terrain with unstable meteorological conditions [12] and was necessary "due to a real or perceived urgency" concerning the condition of the injured civilians. [13]

It was reported that the aircraft "was enveloped by rapidly developing clouds or lifted into a cloud by rising air currents. As they attempted to maneuver out of the weather conditions, they lost visual reference with the terrain and impacted the ground." [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell AH-1 Cobra</span> Family of attack helicopters

The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell UH-1 Iroquois</span> Family of American military utility helicopters

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helicopter in service with the United States military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Thai Navy</span> Naval warfare branch of Thailands military

The Royal Thai Navy is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as the father of the Royal Navy. It has a structure that includes the naval fleet, Royal Thai Marine Corps, and Air and Coastal Defence Command. The RTN headquarters is at Sattahip Naval Base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLA-367</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 (HMLA-367) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. Originally commissioned during World War II, the squadron participated in combat operations on Peleliu and Okinawa. Reactivated during the Vietnam War, the squadron has served during numerous conflicts since. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sindhupalchowk District</span> District in Bagmati Pradesh, Nepal

Sindhupalchowk District is a part of Bagmati Province and one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal, with an area of 2,542 km2 (981 sq mi). The district's headquarters is in Chautara. In 2006, 336,478 people resided in 79 village development committees, in 2011 there were 287,798.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMM-262</span> Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (VMM-262) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Flying Tigers", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLA-267</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 (HMLA-267) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. Nicknamed the "Stingers", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLA-169</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 (HMLA-169) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VMM-162</span> Military unit

Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM-162) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as the "Golden Eagles", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. HMM-162 officially stood down 9 December 2005 to begin the process of transitioning to the MV-22 Osprey. On 31 August 2006, the squadron was reactivated as the second operational Osprey squadron in the Marine Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLAT-303</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303 (HMLAT-303), is a United States Marine Corps helicopter training squadron stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. Known as "Atlas", HMLAT-303 trains newly commissioned Naval Aviators, conversion pilots, and refresher pilots to fly the Bell UH-1Y Venom and Bell AH-1Z Viper. HMLAT-303 is also responsible for training Bell UH-1Y Venom crew chiefs. It is part of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell UH-1Y Venom</span> Military utility helicopter model by Bell

The Bell UH-1Y Venom is a twin-engine, medium-sized utility helicopter built by Bell Helicopter under the H-1 upgrade program of the United States Marine Corps. One of the latest members of the numerous Huey family, the UH-1Y is also called "Yankee" after the NATO phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter. Bell was originally to produce UH-1Ys by rebuilding UH-1Ns, but ultimately built them from scratch instead. In 2008, the UH-1Y entered service with the Marine Corps and also began full-rate production. The aircraft replaced the USMC's UH-1N Twin Huey light utility helicopters, introduced in the early 1970s. The final UH-1Y was delivered in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton</span> US military installation in California

Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton or MCAS Camp Pendleton is a United States Marine Corps airfield located within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It was commissioned in 1942 and is currently home to Marine Aircraft Group 39. The airfield is also known as Munn Field in honor of Lieutenant General John C. "Toby" Munn, the first Marine aviator to serve as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell UH-1N Twin Huey</span> Utility transport helicopter

The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is a member of the extensive Huey family, the initial version was the CUH-1N Twin Huey, which was first ordered by the Canadian Forces in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell AH-1Z Viper</span> American attack helicopter

The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family. It is often called "Zulu Cobra", based on the military phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade</span> Military unit

The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade is a United States Marine Corps unit that is the "middleweight" crises response force of choice in the Pacific Area of Operation. It is the Marine Corps’ only permanently forward-deployed Brigade sized Marine Air-Ground Task Force and is a resilient, ready and relevant force able to rapidly deploy and conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to amphibious assault and high intensity combat. 3d MEB maintains a forward presence in the Pacific Theater to support contingencies and alliance relationships. 3d MEB also conducts combined operations and training throughout the region in support of United States national security strategy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell UH-1 Iroquois variants</span> Variants of the American military utility helicopter

The Bell UH-1 Iroquois military helicopter, first introduced in 1959, is the first production member of the prolific Huey family of helicopters, and was itself developed in over twenty variants, which are listed below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H-1 upgrade program</span>

The H-1 upgrade program is the United States Marine Corps's program to develop the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom military helicopters to replace its aging fleets of AH-1W SuperCobras and UH-1N Twin Hueys. The contract was awarded in 1996 to Bell Helicopter, the original manufacturer of both aircraft, to design the new airframes as modernized attack and utility helicopters with considerable design commonality, to reduce operating costs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMLA-469</span> Military unit

Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 (HMLA-469) was a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1 SuperCobra and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron was last headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton in Southern California and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron was commissioned on 30 June 2009 and decommissioned on 16 December 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 2015 Nepal earthquake</span> 2015 earthquake centered near Kodari, Nepal

A major earthquake occurred in Nepal on 12 May 2015 at 12:50 pm local time with a moment magnitude of 7.3, 18 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Kodari. The epicenter was on the border of Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk, two districts of Nepal. This earthquake occurred on the same fault as the larger magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 25 April, but further east than the original quake. As such, it is considered to be an aftershock of the April quake. It struck at a depth of 18.5 km (11.5 mi). Shaking was felt in northern parts of India including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Tremors were felt as far as about 2,400 km away from the epicenter in Chennai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Sahayogi Haat</span> Nepal earthquakes (2015)

Operation Sahayogi Haat was a US military relief operation delivering humanitarian assistance to victims of the April and May 2015 Nepal earthquakes. About 900 US military and civilian personnel were involved, with about 300 deployed in Nepal. 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade was tasked to form Joint Task Force 505, which was responsible for managing the relief operation from May 6 to 26, 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "Helicopter Accidents – Helicopter Database". helis.com. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Wreckage of US military helicopter found in Nepal". TheGuardian.com . 15 May 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Marines release findings of fatal Nepal helo crash". Marine Corps Times. 9 November 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Marines died helping hard-to-reach quake victims". CNN. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "JTF 505 deactivates after Operation Sahayogi Haat". Marines. U.S. Marine Corps. May 26, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Updated: Marine Victims from Nepal added to DINFOS school Hall of Heroes". DVIDS. Retrieved 14 Nov 2020.
  7. ↑ "Updated: Marine UH-1Y Helicopter Missing in Nepal, Aerial Search to Begin at Daybreak". USNI News. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nepal Helo Crash: Officials Identify Marines and Soldiers involved". #OAF. Archived from the original on 2015-07-11. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Joseph Trevithick (18 May 2015). "U.S. Marines Faced Dangers in Nepal Before Deadly Crash". Medium. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Fallen Marines to be Memorialized at US Embassy in Nepal". November 3, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  11. ↑ Sharma, Amrit (May 15, 2015). "Open Letter To The US Marines From The People of Nepal" . Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Accident Description". Aviation Safety Network. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  13. ↑ Najar, Nida (7 November 2015). "Route Decision Led to U.S. Helicopter Crash in Nepal, Marines Say". The New York Times . Retrieved 9 October 2017.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.