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| Date: | Friday 30 April 1965 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-3C Sea King (S-61R) |
| Owner/operator: | 341st SMW, USAF |
| Registration: | 63-9680 |
| MSN: | 61-512 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 10 miles N of Lewistown, MT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Malmstrom AFB (KGFA), MT |
| Lewistown, MT |
The CH-3C was leaving a Minuteman missile launch site after picking up eight passengers, but lost power on take off, struck a fence and crashed, settled on its side and caught fire. None of the four crew men and eight passengers aboard were seriously injured, but several received third degree burns during escape from the helicopter as the cabin door could not be opened until one of the pilots crawled through a broken cockpit window and pulled it open from the outside.
The accident investigation board reported that the primary cause factor for this accident could not be unconditionally determined due to the extensive fire damage following the accident. They reported, however, that the most probable cause was pilot factor, in that the loss of aerodynamic lift caused by a reduction of rotor RPM, probably induced by improper pilot technique, was indicated. They reasoned that reduction of rotor RPM was probably caused by either inattention of the pilot to his power indicating instruments and subsequent over demand upon the rotor due to excessive use of collective pitch, or to a rapid application of pitch which, in effect, called for more power than the turbines were capable of producing. In either case, the aircraft would be placed behind the power curve and into a flight condition from which it was impossible for the instructor to make a safe recovery.
Sources:
https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1963.html
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/5509/
https://usafrotorheads.com/ch-3cmalmstrom-afb-mt30-apr-1965/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Jan-2025 06:43 | Tetrapack | Added |
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