Morning all
Salbando sent me these pix this morning to share with everyone of an OH-58D that encountered some small arms fire:
Needless to say, they got into a little hostile territory. This thing took hundreds of rounds and yet returned its crew back to base, including direct hits into the engine, transmission, control systems, avionics, flight computers, and both main and tail rotor. The 2-man crew sustained multiple injuries, but survived.
That’s a testament to the survivability put into those birds. Amazing that they could get that home with all the holes in it and the crew, apparently.
Nasty, nasty stuff.
what was it hit by? flaks? MGs?
Looks like a lot of “luck” and the grace of God got that bird and it’s crew home!
scary… good thing the pilots survived!
Glad the crew got back, loads of damage
Grant,
Thanks for posting the pics. My understanding is that it was all small arms fire.
Looking at the pics up close, it looks like they took multiple hits from both 7.62 and .50 cal rounds from below and slightly aft of the helicopter. The cockpit armor saved the crew, but it looks like they may have taken a hit or two in the legs. Nasty stuff. Really is a testament to both the bird and the crew that they were able to get this one home!
It was hit by a rocket while on the pad at BIAP. Nobody was in it.
Correction, a Rocket or mortar went off near the 58D while parked. Can’t remember which swiss cheesed it.
Bell knows how to make some tough birds.
Not what I heard, but I obviously wasn’t there. A Blackhawk crew chief I met a while back doing a 180 day stint said it was small arms and that both crew members did have injuries. BTW, RPG’s are small arms in my book.
Just what I heard, and what he sent me.
mscottholt,
Where’d you get the Intel? Are you deployed?
The aircraft was parked on the hardstand at Baghdad Int’l Airport When it received incoming fire. The photo you are looking at is or is very similar tothe official Army Safety Center picture taken. .50cal/12.7mm rounds, due to their weight, punch very neat holes, not ragged like those in the picture. If it took fire in the air, the holes would be oval in nature, and the nature of the holes are very horizontal/flat. .50cal or even small arms fire striking the aircrew would leave blood, on the seats, windshield, and would be dispersed by the rotorwash throughout the cockpit. If there were casualties, we would immediately yank the armor, the seats etc, leaving a bare bones cockpit, as they would be examined in great detail. Look closely at the pitch change links on the rotor head, the -58D rotor spins at an ungodly rate, with those peppered PCL’s there was no way they could of flown back, the centrifigual force would of bent them as their strength became compromised due to shrapnel damage. Your friend may have been mistaken, there has been -58D’s that have sustained onboard injuries/casualties, it wasn’t this bird though.
I saw this aircraft in its current state 4 days after the fact, and got the information first hand by those who witnessed it.
That’s the great thing about this forum. With the wide variety of backgrounds of the members, we seem to always eventually get the straight info.
mscottholt,
Thanks for setting the story straight! I must admit I was wondering how in the hell the pitch link and tail rotor drive shaft stayed together considering the damage, if it was in fact in flight.
The 58 that wouldn’t die.
The guy who said that the aircraft was hit in parking by an artillery tube fired rocket was correct. All of the damage incurred happened to the aircraft while it was in parking.
How do I Know? I owned it!
WOW!
I certainly am grateful for this forum.
Mtway, glad you weren’t in it!
Scott, Thanks for setting the story straight!