another U.S. Apache Helicopter Down Near Fallujah

[Soulhunter]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,116926,00.html


NAJAF, Iraq — A U.S. Apache (search) helicopter was seen by an Associated Press reporter burning on the ground outside Fallujah (search) on Tuesday, and witnesses said it was hit by a rocket from the ground. There was no immediate word on casualties.


The helicopter was in flames on the ground 12 miles east of Fallujah near the village of Zawbaa.

U.S. troops who converged on the site were attacked by gunmen, the reporter said. There was no immediate U.S. military comment.

The site was between Fallujah and the western Baghdad suburb of Abu Ghraib, where an Apache was shot down by gunmen Sunday, killing its two crewmembers.

[mustamato]

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2004/WORLD/meast/04/13/iraq.main/story.chopper.down.ap.jpg

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/13/iraq.main/index.html

[seruriermarshal]

Bless soldiers safe .

[moughoun]

It has just been on Sky news that 2 heli's could be down, an apache and a blackhawk don't know much else at the moment

[seruriermarshal]

It has just been on Sky news that 2 heli's could be down, an apache and a blackhawk don't know much else at the moment

I hear some news , It's an HH-53 .

:(

[duck]

That must be the helpless women and children of Fallujah firing missiles someone left in their backyard.

[He219]

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/03312000/news.lycos.com/news/ot_getImage.asp?op=img&id=584806

An Iraqi man walks towards the charred remains of a US helicopter that was downed, Tuesday, April 13, 2004, 3 kilometers outside of Fallujah, Iraq. (AP Photo/Abdel Kader Saadi)

[seruriermarshal]

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/03312000/news.lycos.com/news/ot_getImage.asp?op=img&id=584806

An Iraqi man walks towards the charred remains of a US helicopter that was downed, Tuesday, April 13, 2004, 3 kilometers outside of Fallujah, Iraq. (AP Photo/Abdel Kader Saadi)

It isn't an AH-64 .

[ariweiner]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

[seruriermarshal]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

Too small . friend , can send bigger pic ?

[Hellman109]

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/03312000/news.lycos.com/news/ot_getImage.asp?op=img&id=584806

An Iraqi man walks towards the charred remains of a US helicopter that was downed, Tuesday, April 13, 2004, 3 kilometers outside of Fallujah, Iraq. (AP Photo/Abdel Kader Saadi)

It isn't an AH-64 .

Definatly not an "attack chopper", it's a lifter, but that rear rotor looks a bit big for a blackhawk but meh.

Definatly not an AH-64 as there rear rotor isnt exposed.

[He219]

It looks like a 53.

[seruriermarshal]

It looks like a 53.

I hear new message , It's an MH-53 ......

I'm afraid it use by Special Force ......

:(

[ariweiner]

Too small . friend , can send bigger pic ?

Sorry that's from Sky News and the only size pic there.

[G1]

It looks like a 53.

I hear new message , It's an MH-53 ......

I'm afraid it use by Special Force ......

:(

Is it somehow sadder that it's a spec op helo?

[mustamato]

MH-53 (if it was one of those)

http://home.t-online.de/home/dj.germany/seadra10.jpg

That´s not exactly the smallest of the birds, let´s hope that it didn´t have
all too many aboard atleast.

[ariweiner]

http://www.af.mil/media/photodb/web/web_020926-O-9999G-005.jpg

MH-53 Pave Low

[seruriermarshal]

Too small . friend , can send bigger pic ?

Sorry that's from Sky News and the only size pic there.

Thank you very much ...... I hear from media , Sky News find an AH-64 (4.11) .

[big_les]

Definitely two separate helos; the horizontal stabilators are both fairly diagnostic.

[Lysander]

It looks like a 53.

I hear new message , It's an MH-53 ......

I'm afraid it use by Special Force ......

:(

Any word on casualties? :|

[seruriermarshal]

It looks like a 53.

I hear new message , It's an MH-53 ......

I'm afraid it use by Special Force ......

:(

Any word on casualties? :|

I hope them safe , Perhaps will have more messages from media ......

[He219]

A U.S. military helicopter crashed near Fallujah but there was no indication anyone aboard was hurt, a Marine commander said. Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said it was not known what caused the Sikorsky *H-53 to crash. U.S. troops blew up the downed craft to keep it from being looted, Byrne said.
News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20040413/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq)

[seruriermarshal]

A U.S. military helicopter crashed near Fallujah but there was no indication anyone aboard was hurt, a Marine commander said. Marine Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne said it was not known what caused the Sikorsky *H-53 to crash. U.S. troops blew up the downed craft to keep it from being looted, Byrne said.
News (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=716&e=2&u=/ap/20040413/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq)

Thank you He219 send this message , Thank you very much ......

[moughoun]

Apprently after the crash a smaller helo landed and picked up the crew

[Aussie E]

from www.theaustralian.news.com.au


US chopper shot down; crew saved
From correspondents in Fallujah, Iraq
April 13, 2004
A US military helicopter went down outside Fallujah today, and the crew was extracted without casualties, a Marine commander said.

US troops blew up the downed craft to keep it from being looted, he said. Insurgents said they downed the craft with a rocket-propelled grenade.

Marines Lieutenant Colonel Brennan Byrne said the reason for the crash of the H-53 Sikorski helicopter before dawn was not known.

He said the Troops extracted the crew, and "there is no indication the crew was injured," Byrne said.

Byrne was not certain how many crewmembers were on the craft, which was not part of his 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment.

The team that secured the craft later came under mortar fire and as it withdrew was ambushed by gunmen using small weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The team suffered casualties in the mortar fire and ambush, he said but would not give details.

Another team went in afterward and blew up the craft to prevent it from being looted, he said.

An Associated Press reporter later saw the craft burning in a field 20 kilometres east of Fallujah.

Photos of the wreckage showed no sign of bodies.

Around a dozen masked gunmen were near the wreckage, at least one carrying RPG launchers.

"The helicopter was passing overhead, and we happened to be hiding here. We fired an RPG at it and it fell," said a masked gunman, one of around a dozen insurgents near the crash site, one of them with an RPG launcher.

[cold0]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

This is not a Apache; it' a H-53; probably tha same shoot down before it was detonated by american force.

[G1]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

This is not a Apache; it' a H-53; probably tha same shoot down before it was detonated by american force.

It obviously looks like an AH-64 to me. :|

[seruriermarshal]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

This is not a Apache; it' a H-53; probably tha same shoot down before it was detonated by american force.

It obviously looks like an AH-64 to me. :|

Media say that's an AH-64 at 4.11 ......

[cold0]

For me it's a H-53, but it's just my 2 $.

The qualiity of the photo is poor and flames and smokes don't help.... but I mantain my o.pinion

[Soulhunter]

hm, seems like there are 2 'copters down? An Apache and an H-53? And the crew from the H-53 got rescued ... the news on the net is a bit confusing right now

[Imshi-Yallah]

The insurgents must have an awful lot of heavy calibre MGs, I can understand how they could catch a low flying S-80/H-53 it being a flying barn and all but the AH-64s didnt seem nearly as vulnerable in A-stan despite frequent ambushes w. RPGs and HMGs

[Uncle Chô]

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/03312000/news.lycos.com/news/ot_getImage.asp?op=img&id=584806
I don't know what the news said but I am 100% sure this is a MH-53J /or CH-53E.

Since when does the Apache have 6 blades ?

And the horizontal stabilizer is from a Sikorsky.

It seems the helo burn on the ground because there is no visual damages to the rotor blades. No sign of a crash. If the tail is broken it is because those are the hinges where the aft tail rotor fold for carrier deck storage.

[Claymore]

2 shootdowns. Here's the Apache

http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1208730.jpg

This is not a Apache; it' a H-53; probably tha same shoot down before it was detonated by american force.

It obviously looks like an AH-64 to me. :|

Look at tail and tail rotor blades.


http://www.nellis.af.mil/gallery/PublicAffairs/images/Airshow2000-HH53.jpg

http://www.combataircraft.com/aircraft/hah64_d.jpg

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/03312000/news.lycos.com/news/ot_getImage.asp?op=img&id=584806