Well, I didn't want to watch the H-60 crash and tumble down that slope but I was glued to the screen in horror!Why! I flew in H-3 aircraft while in the U.S. Navy and then as a Test Engineer for the U.S. Navy for 13yrs. In that time, I was involved in some rather harrowing tests that could have crashed the helicopter. We always had a plan, especially a safety plan, before each flight. Thankfully, we only dented parts of the helicopter and made it safely back to land.I wonder how much planning was in effect in this case. We are sometimes too gungho and don't think out the consequences before we act. I support these rescuers and pray for their speedy recovery.

I saw that on the news last night. I wonder what went wrong?

Could I have a guess that there was some recirculation on the mountainside of the rotor disc. There would have been absolutely no ground effect so the heli would have been in a high power setting just to hover. It seemed to get caught in recirculation, bob out of it and then bob back in before hitting.Poor people. I watched with that empty sick feeling in my stomach. The one that makes you feel like you are going to throw up.I

http://click.hotbot.com/director.asp?id=4&...ent&rsource=INK

Thanks for the link.Noodle