The U.S. Army helicopter that crash landed near Frances last night at dusk was a Chinook, dual-rotor aircraft.It had apparently been on a training mission, practicing refueling maneuvers with a large fixed-wing cargo plane such as a C-130. The fixed-wing plane customarily flies above and slightly in front of the chopper, refueling it with a long hose and drogue pod. The military practices the refueling exercise because on extended flights it's necessary to refuel the choppers, which don't carry a great deal of fuel.
Parts of the aircraft and what appears to be sections of the refueling mechanism are being found as far as two miles from where the aircraft went down on Lark Loop just off Brown Mine Road. Tony Travis, an employee of the Crittenden-Livingston Water District, found a couple of large pieces near Maple Sink early this morning. One piece looks like a shroud that might be used to cover the fuel line. Other parts of what looks like rotor material were found nearby.
A former military pilot with connections to Crittenden County says the plane was almost certainly on a training mission because there were reportedly seven crewmen aboard. Normally, a Chinook would have a crew of just three or four. On training missions there would be extra pilots so they could each take turns at the controls, said the former pilot who asked not be identified.
He also said the military was likely sending a crew from Fort Rucker, Ala., to investigate. Fort Rucker is home to U.S. Army aviation. A team of investigators – comparable to the FAA or NTSB for commercial crashes – is en route to the scene and expected shortly, according to local authorities.
Military officials picked up the crew last night and left a small unit of four men to guard the aircraft until military investigators arrive. None of the crew were seriously injured. Read more in our previous post.
Pictured is Tony Travis looking at what appears to be a small section of rotor. This piece was in a field near the intersection of Ky. 855 South and Main Lake Road.
