85-24325

 

 

85-24325, Boeing D model kit number M3095, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 23 December 1985. The administrative strike date was 9 April 1986. As of 9 April 1986, 85-24325 had accumulated 31.0 D model hours and 1,947.0 total aircraft hours.    85-24325 was a conversion from the original C model Chinook 70-15025.    On 19 December 1984, 85-24325 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and then assigned to the 132nd Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Hercules", Hunter Army Airfield, Savannah, Georgia.    On 9 April 1986, while assigned to the 132nd ASHC, 85-24325 was lost due to an accident near Wright Army Airfield, Georgia. While in low altitude cruise flight, during a night vision goggle (NVG) training mission, 85-24325 and an AH-1 Cobra, flying in opposite directions, collided.    The main rotor blades of 85-24325 struck the forward cabin area and main rotor system of the AH-1, which caused the in-flight breakup of both aircraft. The AH-1 caught fire during the impact, followed by an immediate descending crash. The aircraft came to rest inverted, where it continued to burn. Both crewmembers sustained fatal injuries.    The in-flight breakup sequence of 85-25325 was a little slower with the aft pylon assembly separating first, followed by the forward pylon assembly. The main cabin impacted the ground in a nose low right roll. The aircraft was dissected at the mid cabin area by a large tree and all the occupiable space was destroyed. The aircraft came to rest in multiple pieces.    The pilot (CW4 Jerry Ackers), copilot (CW4 Charley Faulk), flight engineer (SSG Siebert Everetts), crew chief (SGT Alphonso Ferguson), and two unknown support personnel received fatal injuries.    All the fuel cells ruptured during the impact sequence, but there was no post crash fire of 85-24325. There were eight total fatalities.    85-24325 was later replaced by 84-24156.    As of 9 April 1986, this aircraft was 14.5 years old.    The last known location of 85-24325 was near Wright Army Airfield, Georgia.    Aircraft status: Crashed.

 

 

This aircraft was piloted by:

 

CW4 Jerry Ackers, Standardization Instructor Pilot, 1986 (Fatality)

 

CW4 Charley Faulk, Instructor Pilot, 1986 (Fatality)

 

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This aircraft was crewed by:

 

SSG Siebert Everetts, Flight Engineer, 1986, (Fatality)

 

SGT Alphonso Ferguson, Flight Engineer, 1986, (Fatality)

 

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