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| Date: | Sunday 23 March 2003 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk |
| Owner/operator: | US Air Force (USAF) |
| Registration: | 97-26778 |
| MSN: | 70.2460 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1998 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 18 miles north of Ghazni -
 Afghanistan
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Kandahar Airport (KDH/OAKN) |
An HH-60G helicopter from the 41st Rescue Squadron, deployed from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, about 18 miles north of Ghazni, killing all six people on board. Komodo 11 was the lead aircraft of a two-ship HH-60G formation, with a third HH-60G trailing behind. They launched from Kandahar at night to rescue two children with head injuries in the northern part of the country. Enroute to the pickup location, they had to complete an aerial refueling with an HC-130P tanker. Due to the high-altitude mountainous terrain, the refueling was conducted as "low" as was reasonable, only 500 feet above the local ground level. Despite being so close to the ground, the aircraft were flying at 9,000 feet above sea level, which makes maneuvering and performance more difficult. Unfortunately, the HC-130P was flying at an altitude of 350 feet above ground level, which was 150 feet below the required altitude of 500 feet. Although the helicopter pilots were on night vision goggles, the low illumination reduced the effectiveness, which caused spatial disorientation and loss of situational awareness. In addition to being too low, the HC-130P was in a bank at the time, placing Komodo 11 even closer to the ground, refueling from the "low" wing. When Komodo 11 disconnected from refueling, the crew backed away from and descended from the basket. Unable to see the ground, it impacted terrain, killing the occupants instantly. Killed in the crash were Lt. Col. John Stein, who was the deployed commander of the unit; 1st Lt. Tamara Archuleta, co-pilot; Staff Sgt. John Teal, flight engineer; Staff Sgt. Jason Hicks, aerial gunner; and pararescuemen Master Sgt. Michael Maltz and Senior Airman Jason Plite.
Sources:
http://www.pjsinnam.com/war_on_terror/komodo_11/Komodo_11.htm
http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1997.html
https://www.hurlburt.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/206064/hurlburt-author-recalls-tragic-events-in-operation-homecoming/
https://www.moody.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2977370/moody-dedicates-new-road-honors-komodo-11/
https://usafrotorheads.com/hh-60gmoody-afb-ga23-mar-2003/
https://valdostadailytimes.com/2005/12/06/komodo-11-crew-remembered/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Sep-2012 04:58 | krasatpi | Added |
| 13-Aug-2013 14:03 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 28-Jul-2021 12:12 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Narrative, ] |
| 19-Oct-2025 06:45 | Zorchin | Updated [Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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