Fatal US Helicopter Crash in Norfolk (England)

Latest.....

Helicopter crash: 'No warning' before Pave Hawk came down



"No warning of any problems was made from a helicopter before it crashed, killing all four crew members, a US Air Force Commander has said.

Capt Christopher Stover, Capt Sean Ruane, Technical Sgt Dale Mathews and Staff Sgt Afton Ponce died in the crash in Cley next the Sea, north Norfolk.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk from the 48th Fighter Wing was based RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and came down on Tuesday.

The crew members' bodies are due to be recovered from the site later.

The Pave Hawk was armed with 600 rounds of 50-calibre bullets and a 9mm side-arm with 15 bullets, which were scattered across an area the size of a football pitch.

'Limited flight operations'
It was on a low-level night training mission, which Col Kyle Robinson, Commander of 48th Wing described as a routine flight."No warning was received about problems with the helicopter," he said.

"Yesterday, we did not fly across the whole 48 Fighter wing, showing our support and condolences for the members of the D6 rescue squadron.

"We will start some limited flight operations today as we continue forward."

He added that it was "still too early to speculate as what caused the crash and make all long-term decisions based on that".

Captains Stover and Ruane were pilots, while Tech Sgt Mathews and SSgt Ponce were acting as special mission aviators.

Col Robinson said they were "flying to a gunnery range in Holbeach [Lincolnshire], and used that frequently for training".

He said the crew, who were members of the 56th rescue squadron, had been in the air force "anywhere from a couple of years to upwards of 16 to 17 years".

"As you would imagine, with most crews, there is a range of experience levels and in general, you have some of the more experienced people [who] will fly with some of the less experienced people and this crew is no different.

"They are all highly qualified in what they did and capable."

He said the USAF would continue to work with UK police, the Ministry of Defence as the investigation and recovery continued.

Air accident, RAF and US investigators have spent the last two days at the scene of the crash.

A 400-metre police cordon is expected to remain in place at the scene until Monday and the public have been asked to stay away......"

Link.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-25663739