Accident Bell UH-1Y Venom 168792,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 176077
 
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Date:Tuesday 12 May 2015
Time:
Type:Bell UH-1Y Venom
Owner/operator:United States Marine Corps (USMC)
Registration: 168792
MSN: 55189
Fatalities:Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:near the village of Kalinchok, Dolakha district -   Nepal
Phase: En route
Nature:Military
Departure airport:
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
Narrative:
An US Marine Corps UH-1Y helicopter assigned to HMLA-469 squadron and sent to Nepal following the earthquakes that hit the country went missing on May 12. Wreckage found on May 15
On Nov. 6, 2015, III Marine Expeditionary Force released the findings of the command investigation into the UH-1Y Huey mishap which occurred on May 12, 2015, during Joint Task Force 505’s humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in support of Operation Sahayogi Haat in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The investigation has determined that the most probable cause of the mishap was the decision of crew, after picking up the injured civilians from a village north of Charikot, to fly the most direct route back to Kathmandu. The chosen course required a brief period over unfamiliar terrain with unstable meteorological conditions. It is believed that the aircraft, call sign “Vengeance 01” (VE01), was enveloped by rapidly developing clouds or lifted into a cloud by rising air currents. As they attempted to maneuver out of the weather conditions, they lost visual reference with the terrain and impacted the ground.

The crew of the VE01, was delivering humanitarian aid and evacuating casualties back to Kathmandu in the wake of two separate and devastating earthquakes at the time of the crash. There were eight U.S. Marines, two Nepalese Army Liaison soldiers and five injured Nepalese civilians on board.

Sources:

http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2015/05/12/us-marine-helicopter-missing-in-nepal-earthquake-aid-mission
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NEPAL_EARTHQUAKE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-05-15-03-17-07
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/missing-us-military-helicopter-found-in-nepal-with-no-survivors/2015/05/15/56e0c027-1f23-43a9-b911-8b454e5c7364_story.html?noredirect=on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32748350
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/16/all-8-bodies-found-at-crashed-us-marine-chopper-nepal-army-says.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NEPAL_US_HELICOPTER_CRASH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-06-05-09-50-02
http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries23.html
https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/marinesreleaseresultsofnepaluh1yaircraftmishapcommandinvesti/

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
12-May-2015 20:21 gerard57 Added
12-May-2015 20:31 gerard57 Updated [Aircraft type, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Damage, Narrative]
15-May-2015 07:35 gerard57 Updated [Total fatalities, Source, Narrative]
15-May-2015 08:31 gerard57 Updated [Total fatalities, Location, Source, Damage, Narrative]
15-May-2015 08:55 Aerossurance Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
15-May-2015 20:08 Aerossurance Updated [Operator, Narrative]
16-May-2015 08:30 gerard57 Updated [Source, Narrative]
22-May-2015 18:38 FRANCOIS Updated [Narrative]
05-Jun-2015 18:26 gerard57 Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative]
04-Nov-2015 11:55 El_serj Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Source]
07-Nov-2015 14:31 Aerossurance Updated [Source, Narrative]
28-Dec-2019 17:45 stehlik49 Updated [Operator, Operator]
07-Feb-2024 17:08 nhofmann54 Updated [Registration, Cn, Operator]

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