Rotor & Wing columnist Giovanni di Briganti argues this week the CH-47 is "unsuited for the combat search and rescue mission", citing the Oxford coroner's report in October that blamed the Chinook's downwash for indirectly killing a paratrooper waiting to be rescued in a minefield. An excerpt:
In this instance, the downwash from an RAF Chinook attempting to land dislodged rocks which, in turn, detonated other mines. One of them killed Cpl Wright.I've been on the receiving end of the Chinook's downwash a few times, and I can vouch for its power. Of course, one might question whether the downwash from any of the CH-47's competitors would have produced the same result in that situation. The real problem may have been this particular Chinook's lack of a hoist -- and not the rotor downwash.
The second failing is that the Chinook had to land because it was not fitted with a rescue hoist, and so could not pull out the injured soldiers while hovering.The third failing is that no other available British helicopter was fitted with a rescue hoist. The British forces' shortfall in helicopter support is well-documented, but it is in instances such as this that the full consequences of that shortfall are felt.
Recent Comments