By Anne Burt
A Black Hawk helicopter crash in Iraq claimed the lives of all nine soldiers Thursday, Jan. 8.
The Black Hawk, which was being used as a medivac helicopter, crashed close to an anti-American rebellion location near Fallujah.
A witness claimed that a rocket hit the helicopter in the tail.
This is not the first Black Hawk helicopter crash since the United States began its Middle East operations. Deaths resulting from three Black Hawk helicopter crashes in the first months of 2003 totaled 19. These deaths occurred during training missions in New York, Afghanistan and Kuwait. All three crashes occured between January and March.
Chief Warrant Officer Dave Odekirk said Black Hawk crashes do not surprise him.
'In the military, we fly in a very demanding environment,' said Odekirk, a Black Hawk helicopter instructor for 13 years. 'We fly low level. We fly at night. We fly in dust. We fly in snow.'
Known as the Army''s workhorse, the Black Hawk transports ground troops and equipment from one area to the next. Depending on seat arrangement, a Black Hawk carries 12 to 18 passengers. Black Hawks fly 175 mph at 50 feet above the ground -- sometimes lower.
Brian Young, officers branch manager of the Utah Army National Guard, flew Black Hawks for 19 years.
'You are flying as low to the earth as possible to mask your movements,' Young said. 'Sometimes you can hit ground obstacles when you''re flying that low ... but that''s what you have to sort of play with -- whether you are closer to the earth or high enough that the enemy can see you.'
Each year, Black Hawk pilots fly with instructor pilots to ensure their flying abilities, Captain Noel Namauu said.
'Throughout the year we have to demonstrate certain proficiencies and certain maneuvers, like landing in confined areas or landing in a forest with a small opening at nighttime,' said Namauu, a BYU ROTC instructor.
Before coming to BYU, Namauu flew Black Hawks for 10 years.
Odekirk said flying a helicopter is more difficult then other aircraft, such as airplanes. He said a Black Hawk''s numerous moving parts lend themselves to more mechanical failure.
However, Odekirk said he thinks driving his car to work is more dangerous then flying a Black Hawk.
'Helicopter crashes get a lot of publicity because they are uncommon,' Odekirk said. 'Whereas there are car crashes every day.'
Namauu said flying Black Hawks with night-vision goggles, routine in training missions, is challenging because the goggles have no depth perception.
'Its hard to tell how far away you are from a certain object,' Namauu said.
Namauu said a pilot wearing night-vision goggles can fly toward a city and mistake the night-lights of the city as stars. The pilot thinks he or she is ascending when they are actually flying toward the ground, Namauu explained.
Young said Black Hawk crashes occur because of material failure, mistakes made because of bad environmental conditions, tired pilots and flying close to the ground.
Young said while flying Black Hawks he experienced numerous problems, more than he likes to think about.
'Sometimes you make it through and sometimes you don''t,' Young said.