U.S. copter down in Iraq; 13 aboard dead

[ProSense]

U.S. copter down in Iraq; 13 aboard dead

26 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. helicopter went down Saturday northeast of Baghdad, killing all 13 people on board, the military said.

Emergency coalition forces secured the crash site, the military said in a brief statement. The helicopter was carrying 13 passengers and crew members and all were killed, it said.

[speedoo]

1. "may have been downed by insurgent fighters..."

snip...

The brief statement from the military lacked the customary comment that the aircraft was not shot down, indicating it may have been downed by insurgent fighters.

[bigdarryl]

2. Yeah right they will say it was Mechanical failure MARK MY WORD

[Jackeen]

3. Could be a mech failure: Bullet goes through gearbox, causing mech failure...

Seriously, though, military helicopters are not the safest mode of transport at the best of times, and have a relatively high attrition rate doing even routine training missions. The 'Write-offs' section in Air Forces Monthly is often three pages long, with each military aircraft accident or shootdown only getting two or three lines.

If it was shot down, it was shot down. If not, it crashed for mechanical or pilot reasons. Not much point in going ape speculating.

[DoggyDoo]

4. However,

if those guys weren't in Iraq, they would be alive right now. Bu$h just keeps on giving, doesn't he?