Three men from the local sheriff’s office and a town fire official were killed in the crash of a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Bell UH-1H Huey helicopter near Las Vegas, New Mexico, on July 16. Killed were Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison and Matthew King, a local fire department rescue specialist. The aircraft was returning from helping out fighting a nearby wildfire when the accident happened. No details of the crash have been released.
The aircraft had reportedly been used to fight two fires in the East Mountains near Albuquerque. It is equipped for scooping and dropping buckets of water. “At this time the investigation into this incident is in its preliminary stages,” said Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Jayme Fuller in a statement Sunday morning. “As we learn further details, we will provide them through official press releases. Please keep these individuals and their families in your thoughts and prayers tonight.”
It is past time for these old Vietnam era under powered, worn out, complicated relics to be relegated to museums and static displays. The are a complicated mass of dangerous old technology far beyond their fixed wing contemporary counterparts. Part them and quit killing people.
You don’t know what happened.Last week that MARPAT UH-1B crash was being blamed on the aircraft and it turned out the pilot hit one or two power lines.I went to hot and humid VN with 207 hours and those old, worn out, war weary Hueys never let me down.Every aircraft is under powered if you overload it.Every aircraft will kill you if you don’t fly it right.That Huey appears to have the Fast Fin tail boom and the reversed style tail rotor, making it a whole lot better and safer than the ones we flew.The Huey is a simple,FORGIVING, easy to fly helicopter.BTDT.
I flew the Huey for nearly 10 years starting in 1968 with 3 years active duty followed by 7 more years in the Alaska Army National Guard. Most of my Huey time was in the UH-1D, H, and M. I still fly and have owned numerous airplanes and have experience in many others. The Huey has always been my favorite. I have never been as comfortable and confident flying any other aircraft. I agree with what Leroy says about the Huey.