Pave Hawk Down?

Details are still thin, but there are emerging reports that a U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopter has crashed near the city of Al Qaim in Iraq's Anbar Governorate, which sits right on that country's border with Syria, killing all seven individuals on board. If confirmed, this could be the United States' first fatal helicopter since it began operations in the region against ISIS in 2014.

www.thedrive.com...

The incident has yet to be confirmed it seems.

The Pave Hawk was within Iraq.

Given the lack of downed Hawks of any flavor to date, I am wondering if this was a mechanical issue.

OTOH, this was a sar bird.

OTGH, we will just have to wait and see when more info comes out.

a reply to: anzha

The Pave Hawk is quite a bit heavier with all the extra equipment, with smaller engines, and significantly less range. They tend to come down harder when things go wrong.

Seven on board, some fatalities.

abcnews.go.com...

Damn... RIP..

They confirmed all seven on board were killed.

www.stripes.com...

It was not mechanical and they weren’t shot down.

a reply to: AeroDev

Most people are guessing at a wire strike of some sort. Won't know until the investigation is done and they release their findings, if and when they do.

The aircraft was from Elmendorf, but the crew was 106th Rescue Wing, New York National Guard. They were Capt. Christopher Zanetis, 37, Capt. Andreas O'Keefe, 37, pilots, MSgt. Christopher Raguso, 39, Flight Engineer, and SSgt Dashen Briggs, 30, Flight Engineer.