SPOJA JOSEPH G

LT Joseph G. Spoja was a potential VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 08/07/1981 at the age of 31.9 (Exact date not known.) from helicopter crash
Date of Birth 09/19/1949
Served in the U.S. Coast Guard
This information was provided by SSN Deceased search

More detail on this person: LT Joseph G. Spoja Date of incident: 7 August 1981 Crash related deaths: LT Ernest P. Rivas (CG Aviator #1739) LT Joseph G. Spoja (CG Aviator #1919) AD1 Scott E. Finfrock AT3 John H. Snyder Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: Air Station Kodiak, AK Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number: Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican, 1471 * Location of the incident: In the Gulf of Alaska, off of Hinchinbrook Island, Alaska Description of the incident: While performing a night hoist to a distressed fishing vessel in heavy weather. The helicopter's tail rotor contacted the water causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable and crashed into the water. The crew drowned after egressing the inverted aircraft. The helicopter was recovered by the Polar Star and taken back to Kodiak. Click here to read more about the crash Click Here to read about 'Monster Waves' and their threat to helicopter rescues Note: The crash depicted in the beginning of the 2006 movie, The Guardian, is loosely based on this accident

Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA

This information was last updated 08/26/2020

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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024