More detail on this person: Copter Crashes
Near Jacksonville; 3 Killed
JACKSONVILLE (AP) - A giant Marine Corps
CH-46D Sea Knight helicopter crashed on a dirt
road southwest of Jacksonville Friday, killing all
three crewmen and narrowly missing several
homes. It was the second disaster involving
helicopters from the New River Marine Air Facility
this year. In June, 22 Marines died when two
helicopters collided over a runway. Friday's
crash occurred at 11:05 a.m. on a routine training
flight. It was eight miles west of the New River
base, which is six miles south of Jacksonville.
The dead were identified as Maj. Hugh Cameron,
34, Hayworth, N.J., and Maj. Lynn M. Ackerman,
34, Chicago, pilots and Lance Cpl. Walter D.
Ogrean, 22, crew chief. An investigation was
underway to determine the cause of the crash.
All three were from the Marine Medium Helicopter
Squadron 162 based at New River. A witness said
he heard the aircraft "making a sputtering noise"
as if it had engine trouble. Another said smoke
came from the helicopter as it fell. There was no
fire after the crash. The helicopter rolled over
on its side after falling and completely blocked
the road. Its body split from top to bottom.
There was speculation the pilot was trying to
reach an open field nearby. Several tall pine
trees beside the road were clipped. The aircraft
fell within 150 yards of nine dwellings and only
100 feet from one of them. Sea Knight helicopters
are used extensively by the Marines in Vietnam.
They were grounded for 90 days this year because
of difficulty in the tail section. The
helicopters are capable of carrying 22 combat
troops in addition to the pilot, co-pilot and crew
chief.
This information was last updated 07/25/2017
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association