Helicopter crash kills 14 US troops in Iraq

Helicopter crash kills 14 US troops in Iraq
By Damien McElroy, Iraq Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:22pm BST 22/08/2007



The US military suffered its worst loss of life from a helicopter crash in Iraq in two years today as a Black Hawk crashed, killing 14 servicemen.

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The UH-60 Black Hawk was part of a two-unit convoy engaged in night operations in northern Iraq when it came down.

The Black Hawk is the workhorse of the American aerial fleet in Iraq.


The 14 soldiers were assigned to Task Force Lightning when they died
A spokesman for US forces said early indications pointed to mechanical failure as the cause of the crash but could not rule out a strike by a surface to air missile. An investigation is being carried in tandem with a recovery operation.

A US spokesman said: "Initial indications are that the aircraft experienced a mechanical malfunction. There were no indications of hostile fire."

Insurgents have sporadically targeted US helicopters in the past. A special cell responsible for a string of attacks earlier this year was broken up by US raids.

Since the US military adopted a more aggressive battleplan in the first quarter of 2007, helicopters have become increasingly important to US commanders.

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The Black Hawk is a key component of operations featuring air assaults on insurgent components in remote areas. Most US flights now take place at night to minimise exposure to attacks.

In January a Black Hawk crashed in Diyala province, killing 12 soldiers and crew.

The deadliest Iraq crash happened in January 2005 when a US marines-operated CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopter went down in a sandstorm in western Iraq, killing 31 US troops.

The four crew killed in today's crash included the pilots and two gunners. The ten soldiers being transported were assigned to Task Force Lightning, the battalion charged with providing security from Tikrit to Mosul.

The Black Hawk, which is manufactured by Sikorsky, was first flown in 1974 and has been enhanced ever since.

The 64ft-long UH-60 - the model that crashed today - boasts a maximum speed of 224 mph.

While it is now overshadowed by the ferocious fire-power of the new Apache attack helicopter, such is its faith in the Black Hawk that the US military plans to continue to use the crafts at least until the 2020s.

The deaths raised to at least 3,721 the number of members of the US military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003.

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