Chinook Helicopter News (CHN) Bulletins

          A Universal News Organization (UNO)

 

 

         

 

          Drug Busts Not an Issue for CH-47F Fleet

 

         

 

          Hawaii - 7th Unit Equipped Complete

 

         

 

          A Wayward Buoy

 

         

 

          Another Chinook Crashes in Afghanistan

 

             8 August 2011: KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A NATO helicopter made a hard landing Monday in an eastern Afghanistan province, the U.S. led coalition said, in an incident on the heels of the fatal downing of another Chinook helicopter dispatched to bring in reinforcements for elite troops under attack two days earlier.

             NATO did not report any casualties and said the cause of the hard landing in Paktia province was under investigation. The coalition said there was no enemy activity in the area at the time.

             The helicopter was a CH-47, tail number 07-08731, flying in to pick up special operations troops, but apparently suffered an issue and crash-landed, an officer in the war zone said. He could not be named because he was not authorized to comment publicly. The crew was rescued by the troops.

 

         

 

          Chinook helicopter Shot Down

 

         
Map of hostile area where MH-47 was shot down.
6 August 2011: KABUL, Afghanistan — Insurgents shot down a NATO Chinook helicopter, 89-00175, during an overnight operation in eastern Afghanistan, killing 38 people on board, a military official said on Saturday. It was one of the worst single-day losses of life for coalition troops in the nearly decade long war and comes amid rising violence across the country.

   The majority of those killed were NATO troops but Afghan soldiers were
          also among the dead, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash was still being investigated.

             The Chinook from B Company - "Muleskinners", 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 135th Aviation Brigade (B-2/135 GSAB), Army National Guard, with elements in Aurora, Colorado and Grand Island, Nebraska was carrying 38 personnel, most of them from the elite Navy SEAL Team 6 unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, along with seven Afghan commandos. None of the Sea Air Land (SEAL) Team members aboard were involved in the Bin Laden incident.

             Sources indicate that all five crewmen, 22 United States Navy (USN) SEALS, three United States Air Force (USAF) Forward Air Controllers (FACs), seven Afghanistan Special Forces (SF), 1 Afghanistan interpreter, and 1 dog were killed.

             It is suspected the helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) as it was operating in the Tangi valley of the Wardak Province just west of Kabul. The Taliban claimed credit for the attack.

             U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman, confirmed the crash but could provide no further information, including what caused the crash or whether there were casualties.

 

         

 

          Chinook helicopter Shot Down

 

             25 July 2011: FORWARD OPERATING BASE JOYCE, Afghanistan — Minor casualties were reported after a rocket-propelled grenade downed a Chinook helicopter, tail number unknown, carrying U.S. and Afghanistan soldiers as it attempted to land at a coalition forces base in eastern Afghanistan early Monday.

   The crash happened shortly after midnight when the rocket hit the rear of the helicopter on its descent into Nangalam Base in the Pech River Valley of Kunar province.

   At least two soldiers suffered non-life-threatening shrapnel wounds. Some 20 people were on board, including soldiers and crew.

   A rescue team that responded to the crash came under small-arms fire, drawing return fire from U.S. and Afghan soldiers. No further coalition casualties were reported.

   There was no immediate word on who was responsible for the attack.

   The Pech River Valley and several adjoining valleys, including the Korengal and Shuryak, are considered Taliban strongholds, and attacks on coalition forces remain a regular occurrence as the Afghanistan war approaches the 10-year mark.

   A battalion of the Afghanistan National Army is stationed at Nangalam Base, formerly known as Forward Operating Base Blessing. The U.S. military handed over control of the base to Afghan forces earlier this year.

 

         

 

         
December 2010: A brand new CH-47F Chinook helicopter sits on the ramp at Wheeler Army Airfield (PHHI), Oahu, Hawaii, under the glow of a rainbow.

             December 2010: A brand new CH-47F Chinook helicopter sits on the ramp at Wheeler Army Airfield (PHHI), Oahu, Hawaii, under the glow of a rainbow. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         

 

          Hawaii Gets F Model Chinooks

 

         

 

          92-00291 Shot at in Ghaki Pass

 

         

 

          Canadian Chinook Shot Down in Afghanistan

 

         

 

          08-08048 Crashes in Afghanistan

 

         

 

          Colorado Guard Dings Rotor Blades

 

         

 

             17 May 2010: William (Bill) Olson CH-47 Cargo Helicopters PMO Logistics Manager, Customer Service/Support passed away today. The details are unknown.

 

         

 

             12 May 2010: Bobby (Rob) Morris, Boeing Service Engineering (Retired) died in his sleep.

 

         

 

          Special Ops MH-47G Chinook Down in Afghanistan

 

             26 October 2009: AFGHANISTAN — A U.S. Army CH-47G Chinook helicopter, tail number 04-03747, was shot down in Badghis province in the western portion of Afghanistan. Seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians were killed, according to an International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) statement. 14 Afghan service members, 11 U.S. service members and one U.S. civilian were injured in the crash. The helicopter was returning from a raid on a compound, ISAF had said earlier, where a firefight had left more than a dozen insurgents dead.

 

         

 

          Special Ops Chinook Makes Precautionary Landing

 

             14 October 2009: FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky — An Army helicopter from Fort Campbell has made an emergency landing in a soybean field in Robertson County, but officials say no one was hurt.

             The MH-47 Chinook helicopter was being used by members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment when it landed in a field Wednesday.

             Major Brandon Bissell, a spokesman for the elite aviation unit, said the helicopter had to land due to a maintenance issue and all the crew members were safe.

             Bissell says the crew will remain with the helicopter until another team arrives to try and correct the problem.

             Tennessee State Representative Joshua Evans, who is also a member of a special response team with the Robertson County Emergency Management Agency, said the pilot reported the front hydraulic unit stopped functioning.

 

         

 

          US Chinook in Accident

 

         
CH-47F Chinook helicopter lost in Afghanistan.
   14 October 2009: About 20 UK service personnel were on a US helicopter which was forced to make an emergency landing in Afghanistan. Five US air crew and about 30 Afghan personnel were also aboard the Chinook which made a "hard landing" in the south on Tuesday.

              Nobody was injured when CH-47F Chinook helicopter 08-08042 crashed.

             The UK personnel are in the process of being evacuated, says an International Security Assistance Force spokesman.

             An investigation into what went wrong has been launched.

             The spokesman said commanders on the ground were planning the recovery of the helicopter.

 

         

 

          Government Accepts Delivery of HC-1B helicopter

 

         
27 April 1962: An unknown tail number is officially accepted by a member of the U.S. Government at the Morton, Pennsylvania, manufacturing facility.

             27 April 1962: An unknown tail number is officially accepted by a member of the U.S. Government at the Morton, Pennsylvania, manufacturing facility. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

 

         
The remarks on the backside of the photograph shown above indicating those present when a U.S. Governement representative officially accepted the aircraft.

             The remarks on the backside of the photograph shown above indicating those present when a U.S. Governement representative officially accepted the aircraft. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         

 

         
Chinook Suffers Hard Landing in Afghanistan

 

             17 January 2009: Kabul, Afghanistan - One U.S. soldier was killed when a CH-47F Chinook helicopter, tail number 05-08012, made a crash landing in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the U.S. military said, adding that small arms fire was involved. It was reported that rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) were also involved. The aircraft was reportedly destroyed in the ensuing post crash fire.

   "One service member was killed today when a coalition CH-47 helicopter ... conducted a hard landing in eastern Afghanistan," the U.S. military said in a statement. "Though the cause of the landing is currently undetermined, small arms fire was present at the time of the incident."

   Spc. Ezra Dawson, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada, died in Konar Province, Afghanistan when the Chinook helicopter he was in made a hard landing under combat conditions. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

   05-08012 was the first CH-47F helicopter to be lost since the development of the new model airframe.

 

         

 

         
Chinook Shot Down in Afghanistan

 

             27 October 2008: KABUL, Afghanistan -- A U.S. Army Chinook helicopter, tail number unknown, was shot down in Afghanistan on Monday, but none of the 10 soldiers on board were killed, according to a U.S. military spokesman.

   The Taliban claimed that its fighters used a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to shoot down the helicopter in the Wardak province, about 30 miles (50km) west of Kabul.

   Maj. John Redfield, a U.S. military spokesman, explained the coalition helicopter went down in the Wardak province after an exchange of fire with enemy on the ground.

   All 10 soldiers on board were picked up and taken to safety, he said. He could not say if any were injured.

 

         

 

         
Chinook Crash in Iraq

 

             18 September 2008: BAGHDAD - The U.S. military has updated the death toll from the crash of an American transport helicopter in southern Iraq early Thursday.

   It now says 7 soldiers who had been aboard the Grand Prairie, Texas, Chinook helicopter, tail number 91-00267, were killed. It happened as the aircraft was landing at a base about 60 miles west of Basra.

   Initially, a spokesman for the Multi-National Force-Iraq had said five had died and the bodies of 2 soldiers were missing. Hostile fire is not suspected.

   The chopper was a part of an aerial convoy from Kuwait to the U.S. military base at Balad just north of Baghdad.

 

         

 

         
Army Probes Chinook Power Losses

 

             8 April 2008: U.S. U.S. Army officials are assessing the cause of engine "rollbacks," or power losses, on the latest-generation Chinooks. Losses of power from the Honeywell T55 engines have occurred both in flight and on the ground. Most incidents involve new Boeing MH-47Gs operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). But one occurred last week on a new CH-47F with the 101st Airborne Division. Boeing and Honeywell are debating whether the problem originates with the airframe or the powerplant. Attention is focusing on the digital electronic engine controller on the T55. The service or manufacturers have yet to launch a formal engineering investigation of the anomalies. See related issue.

 

         

 

         
Helicopter pioneer Frank Piasecki passes away

 

         

 

         
Chinooks Crash in Iraq


   14 August 2007: Baghdad, Iraq - Five U.S. service personnel were killed when a military transport helicopter crashed during a routine flight west of Baghdad on Tuesday.

   The crash takes the death toll for the U.S. military to 10 in the past two days.

   The U.S. military said the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, tail number 89-00171, crashed near its al-Taqaddum air base outside Falluja, 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad, while conducting a "routine post-maintenance check flight".

   There was no indication whether it was shot down. An investigation is under way.

   The deaths of the five on board the helicopter takes the total number of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein to at least 3,699.

   It was also reported that a CH-47D Chinook helicopter, tail number 83-24123, was damaged in Afghanistan on Monday, 10 August 2007, during ground taxi operations.

 

         

 

          MH-47E Chinook 92-00472 Crashes in Afghanistan

 

         

 

         
Parashoot Training

 

         
U.S. Army Soldiers jump from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter at McLanely Drop Zone, Fort Lee, Virginia on 7 December 2006. Various units participated in the jump as a quarterly training requirement.

             U.S. Army Soldiers jump from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter [tail number unknown] at McLanely Drop Zone, Fort Lee, Virginia on 7 December 2006. Various units participated in the jump as a quarterly training requirement. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

 

         

 

         
Boeing Wins Air Force HH-47 Contract

 

         
A US Chinook helicopter carries relief supplies in Pakistan in January 2006. Aerospace giant Boeing Company has won a 15-billion-dollar contract to supply the US Air Force with 141 combat search and rescue helicopters.
WASHINGTON, 9 November 2006 - The U.S. Air Force said on Thursday it picked a version of Boeing Company's CH-47 Chinook helicopter to replace its aging fleet of Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search-and-rescue helicopters.

             Air Force Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Sue Payton said the Boeing helicopter offered the best value, based on its range, speed and cabin size, and loiter time.

             The new helicopter offered a "vast improvement over what we have today," she told reporters at the contract announcement.

             The contract calls for 141 production aircraft and five test aircraft in a deal the Air Force valued at $15 billion through 2019. It awarded Boeing an initial contract of $712 million on Thursday for system development and demonstration.

             Officials said it would cost an additional $20 billion to operate and maintain the helicopters over their 30-year life.

             Click-N-Go Here to read a Boeing HH-47 CSAR-X promotional publication in PDF format.

             January 2007: Oops, we spoke to soon. After much saber rattling by Senators McCain and Clinton, and a negative review from the GAO, the whole CSAR-X process has been forced into a relook. What a shame. Who knows when the politicians will decide on what's best for the downed aviator or troop trapped on the battlefield in desparate need of help...

 

         

 

          MH-47G Chinook Crashes in Georgia

 

         

 

          85-24349: Ten Die in Afghan Chopper Crash

 

         

 

 

         
A better way to tow a Chinook.

          A Better Way to Tow A Chinook? Click-N-Go Here to find out more.

 

 

         

 

 

         
A custom designed ground support device used by military aircraft technicians to remove the transmission on the Boeing CH-47 Chinook troop transport helicopter. The hand operated winch is bolted to a supported beam structure. A system of pulleys and cables provides the mechanical lift to raise the load.

             A custom designed ground support device used by military aircraft technicians to remove the transmission on the Boeing CH-47 Chinook troop transport helicopter. The hand operated winch is bolted to a supported beam structure. A system of pulleys and cables provides the mechanical lift to raise the load.

 

             CHATSWORTH, California, 20 December 2005: Logistical Support Incorporated, a supplier of precision components and complex aviation systems to the Department of Defense (DoD) and key DoD contractors, announced today that it received an order from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) valued at $465,747.

             The order is for hoist kits used as ground support equipment on CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The kit contains the necessary tools to safely remove the Aft Transmission from the Boeing cargo helicopter.

             Bruce Littell, CEO of Logistical Support, said, "This is the fifth and final order for Chinook hoist kits under this IDIQ contract with AMCOM. We are currently working on the fourth delivery order and anticipate completing both orders by August 2006. The entire five-year contract is anticipated to bring Logistical Support contract revenue of $1,615,000. We strongly value our long-standing relationship with AMCOM and look forward to working with them on additional contracts."

 

 

         

 

          Guard Chinook 91-00269 Lost In Afghanistan

 

         

 

          Pakistan Disaster Relief Operations

 

         

 

          MH-47D Chinook 89-00160 Crashes in Afghanistan

 

         

 

          Guard Chinook 90-00200 Shot Down in Afghanistan

 

         

 

          Hurricane Katrina

 

         

 

          MH-47D Chinook 89-00146 Burns in Afghanistan

 

         

 

          "Flippers" CH-47D 85-24335 Crashes in Iraq

 

         

 

         
MH-47D Shot Down in Afghanistan

 

         

 

         
"Sugar Bears" CH-47D 87-00102 Lost in Iraq

 

         

 

          "Big Windy" CH-47D 88-00100 Lost in Afghanistan

 

         

 

         
A CH-47A Chinook (tail number unknown), belonging to the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), gets dumped overboard during the final days of the Vietnam War, circa 1975.

             A CH-47A Chinook (tail number unknown), belonging to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), gets dumped overboard during the final days of the Vietnam War, circa 1975. It is the only known photograph of a Chinook getting dumped into the sea and is a rare shot of a Chinook with the rotor blades folded.

 

         

 

          Hookers Move Whore House

 

         
Columbia Helicopters Incorporated BV-234 Chinook moves parlor house in Nevada.
   A heavy-lift Chinook helicopter owned and operated by Columbia Helicopters Incorporated (CHI) prepares to land the central parlor and final section of the new Mustang Ranch east of Reno, Nevada on Sunday, 12 September 2004. The final section of the infamous Mustang Ranch brothel - the parlor in which the working girls lined up when a customer walked in - was airlifted four miles to the east on Sunday to the new location of the ranch at the Wild Horse Adult Resort & Spa.

         

             TOASTING THE MOMENT: Wild Horse Resort & Spa madam Susan Austin, left, and prostitute "Camille" give a toast as they celebrate the arrival of the parlor section.

         
Columbia Helicopters Incorporated BV-234 Chinook moves parlor house in Nevada.

 

         

          In Other News

 

             Click-N-Go on a link below to read current and historical news regarding the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter - sorted by region.

 

         

 

 

         
Read some general news regarding the CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
Read some news regarding Afghanistan CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Alabama CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Alaska CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopter activities at Boeing. Read some news regarding California CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Colorado CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding Connecticut CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopter activities in Egypt. Read some news regarding Georgia CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopter activities in Germany. Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopter activities in Greece. Read some news regarding Hawaii CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding Iowa CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopter activities in Iraq. Read some news regarding Italian owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding U.S. Army owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations in Italy. Read some news regarding Kentucky CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding U.S. Army owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations in Korea.
Read some news regarding Korean owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Michigan CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Mississippi CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding Montana CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Nevada CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding New York CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding North Carolina CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Ohio CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Oregon CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding Pennsylvania CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding Taiwan owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations. Read some news regarding British owned CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.
Read some news regarding CH-47 Chinook helicopters operating in Vietnam. Read some news regarding Washington CH-47 Chinook helicopter operations.

 

 

         

 

 

         

             An article describing the towing of a water skier by a Chinook. Perhaps this is why the Chinook has the Air-to-Ground Towing prohibition in the Dash 10...Anyone have the original photograph?

 

         

 

             Attention Chinook units: Please send us your news, we would be happy to post it on this site.

 

         

 

 

          Related Sites

 

          Boeing Chinook News

          Aircraft Survivability Magazine

          Boeing Tandem Notes

 

 

          The CH-47 - 40 years old and still circling the world.

         

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