Military Believes CH-46 Suffered Mechanical Failure

POSTED: 4:40 am EST February 7, 2007
UPDATED: 12:13 pm EST February 7, 2007
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military believes all seven people aboard a CH-46 helicopter that crashed in Iraq Wednesday were killed, and indications are that it was not hit by hostile fire, a senior U.S. defense official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way, said the helicopter went down between Baghdad and Fallujah and that the crash appeared to have been related to mechanical problems.

In Baghdad, an Iraqi air force officer said it was downed by an anti-aircraft missile.

The CH-46 was operated by Marines, and other Marine aircraft were in visual contact at the time it went down, the U.S. official said. He said he did not know whether a distress signal was communicated by radio.

It is the fifth U.S. chopper lost in the past two and a half weeks. The military acknowledged last weekend that the four other choppers had likely been downed by hostile fire.

CH-46 Used Since 1960s

The Navy and Marine Corps have used the Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter since the early 1960s, mostly as a transportation vehicle and also in search and rescue operations. Its tandem rotors allow pilots to hover in fixed positions for long periods, even in heavy and unpredictable crosswinds.

At 84 feet 4 inches long, 16 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 18,000 pounds, the helicopter is one of the largest in military use. It can carry up to 6,000 pounds of cargo, or 25 combat-loaded troops and has the fuel endurance to stay airborne for approximately two hours. In emergencies it can land on water and stay afloat for up to two hours.

The helicopter has the ability to land and taxi in the water in case of emergency, and is able to stay afloat for up to two hours in two-foot seas. Because of its tandem rotor design, the “Sea Knight” is an extremely versatile aircraft. It is able to excel in various flight maneuvers, such as rearward and sideward flight, while other helicopters are extremely limited. This makes the helicopter ideal for its primary Navy mission of vertical replenishment.

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