2/229 AVN Attempting a rescue

[vinceselby]

This is my first post, and am sorry to start with such a somber question. The following is from this site: {2/229 AVN Attempting a rescue of a downed USAF F-16 pilot while under heavy AAA fire. A/C was hit, pitched forward and crashed into an earthen berm, landing nose first, the A/C dug into the soft sand and flipped over and exploded. Mission was a flight of three (2 AH64s.} Sadly I lost a good friend, SFC William T. Butts, on this heroic rescue attempt. The question I have is, what did the Apaches do? Did they stay onsite and provide cover for their downed brethren? Did they turn tail and run? Did they receive accommodations for this mission? Did they receive admonitions for leaving the downed aircraft unprotected? This was a highly publicized incident, but I would love to know how it transpired. I don’t want to sling mud, or point fingers, but just as great acts of heroism inspire future heroes, reviewing the mistakes and save your own rear under fire decisions, should be brought to light. I have always had a haunted feeling that false bravo turned cowardice may have prevented the rescue of crewmembers on this ill-fated mission .

[Admin]

By actual account, one of the Apaches took fire and received damage to the left engine nacelle and fuselage. The PIC, in seeing the Blackhawk exploding in flames immediately on flipping over on the ground, determined that survivability was low. They were also in a "Red Zone" and taking heavy enemy fire at the time. With this in mind, it was determined to leave the area immediately to prevent further loss.

[kuzindwight77]

Ever hear of a baited ambush!!!

There is a bid difference between taking the fight to the enemy and blindly walking into an ambush. No one likes loosing a brother and I've lost friends there responding to troops-in-contact calls in Iraq. They willingly gave there lives trying to protect our ground brothers under hostile fire.

The assumption that the aircrew demonstrated cowardice is disrespectful and moronic. Our community readily rushes into harms way everyday with a Plexiglas window as our only armor protection. We never make excuses, we knew the inherent risk when we choose to be attack aviators.

If you are stupid enough to rush blindly into an ambush I suggest you chose a different profession. If you are that STUPID you are a risk to everyone who serves with you.

[formerly DustoffALSE]

Why don't you guys ask COL Rhonda Cornum? She was the flight surgeon who jumped on board the Black Hawk that went down. She was a POW for awhile. I believe that she is assigned to the US Army hospital at Ft Knox, KY. She used to be our boss here at Landstuhl.

[Sgtapache]

I was the T.I. deployed forward at the FARP when this shoot down happened. The two AH-64's were doing thier best to catch up to the UH-60L when it was shot down. They had the Blackhawk in site when it was shot down, and the lead AH-64 took fire from a ZSU 57-2 . The 57mm shell went through the 30mm ammo magazine and exited the r/s of the fuselage where it exploded and shredded the #2 engine nacelle and damaged the #2 engine. They were extremely lucky to make it back to FOB Viper where we spent most of that night trying to patch that bird up so that the BN could go on a recovery mission for the shot down UH-60 the next day. MAJ Rhonda Cornum, SSG Dan Stamaris and PFC Troy Dunlap all survived the crash.