14 U.S. soldiers die in Iraq helicopter crash

[v2]

Fourteen U.S. soldiers died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in northern Iraq, according to a U.S. military statement.

more: 14 U.S. soldiers die in Iraq helicopter crash - CNN.com

 

[Lucky13]

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I hate it whenever this happens, especially since the Army Aviation Community is a rather small community. I am allways scared when they release the names.

 

[twoeagles]

I hate it whenever this happens, especially since the Army Aviation Community is a rather small community. I am allways scared when they release the names.

You're right about that, Adler. In this business, you either know someone who has gone down, or you are going to. From your experience, are they
flying so low to avoid ground fire that an autorotation is not a viable option?

 

[ccheese]

It's just a damn shame that these young men, are put in a position where
they are sent in harms way. I just wonder whether the "cost" is worth
what the U.S. hopes to get out of it.

Charles

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

You're right about that, Adler. In this business, you either know someone who has gone down, or you are going to. From your experience, are they
flying so low to avoid ground fire that an autorotation is not a viable option?

Unless they have changed there flight profiles they are flying real low to the ground. We flew low and fast.

 

[mkloby]

You're right about that, Adler. In this business, you either know someone who has gone down, or you are going to. From your experience, are they
flying so low to avoid ground fire that an autorotation is not a viable option?

It is possible to fly very low and fast and still have a chance at trading off some airspeed for altitude and still intercept at autorotational profile at say 100' AGL - although that makes things more difficult. They don't let us practice Hi speed low level autos in flight school, but the instructors demo them...

 

[CharlesBronson]

A terrible loss, my condolences, I sincerely hope that this war would be over soon.

 

[Heinz]

Terrible.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It is possible to fly very low and fast and still have a chance at trading off some airspeed for altitude and still intercept at autorotational profile at say 100' AGL - although that makes things more difficult. They don't let us practice Hi speed low level autos in flight school, but the instructors demo them...

You can technically get the aircraft on the ground safely at less than 100' AGL. We were usually about 50' AGL.

 

[Konigstiger205]

More people have died after the war then in it....its a sad thing...every single terrorist should be hanged because they are not worth the sacrifice of those men...

 

[Clave]

Not an option...

a) You would have to catch them first
b) Would you have a trial for every single one?
c) If you did manage to hang every terrorist, the ones that replaced them would be smarter and tougher and ten times harder to find.


It's naive to think you can fight a 'war' on terrorism. What's happening is 'street fighting' on a massive scale - it's tragic and messy and impossible to see any other outcome than the Vietnam Ending...

 

[Konigstiger205]

Not an option...

a) You would have to catch them first
b) Would you have a trial for every single one?
c) If you did manage to hang every terrorist, the ones that replaced them would be smarter and tougher and ten times harder to find.


It's naive to think you can fight a 'war' on terrorism. What's happening is 'street fighting' on a massive scale - it's tragic and messy and impossible to see any other outcome than the Vietnam Ending...

Sad...but true....its like fighting insects....there will always appear in greater numbers and smarter...

 

[mkloby]

Not an option...

a) You would have to catch them first
b) Would you have a trial for every single one?
c) If you did manage to hang every terrorist, the ones that replaced them would be smarter and tougher and ten times harder to find.


It's naive to think you can fight a 'war' on terrorism. What's happening is 'street fighting' on a massive scale - it's tragic and messy and impossible to see any other outcome than the Vietnam Ending...

You're right - we'll all just sit here and wait for our buildings, ports, trains, aircraft to be destroyed. Islamic Fundamentalism is not an ideology that wants to wipe the western world from the face of the earth, and been trying to do so for well over 1000 years.

 

[Clave]

Did I say we should sit around?

The only way to fight small groups is with intelligence and subversion. Find out who they are, where they are, and how they work - then get inside if possible. If not, just swoop down with enough force to contain that area, secure it, then move on to the next.

Fighting street battles with groups who are trying kill each other as well is bad news, and when you throw in a whole mass of completely innocent bystanders, it is a recipe for disaster.

You see - the trouble is that the whole meaning of this excursion into Iraq has totally changed from WMD locating to regime change to terrorist suppression. It's a horrible mess, and the US and UK troops are becoming the victims now, and that's not a tolerable situation...

I was in favour of this thing when it seemed like a quick strike to take out WMDs, and I was still in favour for the regime change idea, but now? No - it's just a unending series of roadside bombs and attrition - there is no way to win this....

Everyone needs to change their preconceptions btw.

Not every Muslim in 'fundamental' any more than every Christian...
Not everyone in Iraq is a Muslim
1,000 years ago the West started the Crusades
I'm sitting next to a Muslim right now
I am an athiest

 

[Konigstiger205]

You both have a point...we must find a viable solution for the insurgents....because if we don't then more men will die and that's not acceptable.

 

[mkloby]

Clave - I'm not going to pollute this thread. You're entitled to your opinion.

 

[Clave]

You are being fair, so thanks for that

I think everyone would agree that the situation right now is Bad News...

 

[Screaming Eagle]

agreed