2008 Woodie Awards
Death Toll Rises to 18 in Afghanistan Copter Crash
More bodies found among
Adam Hynick
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The death toll from a US helicopter crash in Afghanistan that occurred on April 6 has now risen to 18 people according to military officials. Searchers found two more bodies among the wreckage of the Chinook CH-47 helicopter that apparently crashed due to poor weather conditions.
The accident took place near the city of Ghanzi, 80 miles south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Soon after the wreck, 13 US military personnel and 3 US civilian bodies were identified from the mission flight manifest out of the 18 passengers. The helicopter crashed on its return flight to Bagram from a mission to deliver mail, supplies, and transport personnel in the insurgency-plagued south. The charred wreckage was found in an area of desert near a cluster of brick kilns.
Following identification of the last two bodies that were recently recovered, further investigation will be conducted as to how exactly the pilot lost control of the helicopter. Military investigators report that no signs of enemy fire have been discovered and that a second Chinook helicopter returned to its US base in Afghanistan unscathed.
Local residents claim a sandstorm had just passed through Ghanzi the day of the crash and that visibility was near zero. These poor weather conditions were the likely culprit of the tragic crash, which has been one of many since US involvement in Afghanistan intensified after the September 11 attacks.
The accident took place near the city of Ghanzi, 80 miles south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. Soon after the wreck, 13 US military personnel and 3 US civilian bodies were identified from the mission flight manifest out of the 18 passengers. The helicopter crashed on its return flight to Bagram from a mission to deliver mail, supplies, and transport personnel in the insurgency-plagued south. The charred wreckage was found in an area of desert near a cluster of brick kilns.
Following identification of the last two bodies that were recently recovered, further investigation will be conducted as to how exactly the pilot lost control of the helicopter. Military investigators report that no signs of enemy fire have been discovered and that a second Chinook helicopter returned to its US base in Afghanistan unscathed.
Local residents claim a sandstorm had just passed through Ghanzi the day of the crash and that visibility was near zero. These poor weather conditions were the likely culprit of the tragic crash, which has been one of many since US involvement in Afghanistan intensified after the September 11 attacks.