Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopter 86-01644.

86-01644

17 November 2005: 86-01644, an American CH-47D Chinook helicopter, delivers supplies for the Australian Defence Force medical detachment in the earthquake-devasted town of Dhanni as part of Operation Pakistan Assist. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

   86-01644, Boeing D model kit number M3149, was a CH-47D helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 20 January 1987. As of 1 January 2003, 86-01644 had accumulated 2,921.2 D model hours and 7,237.0 total aircraft hours.

   86-01644 was a conversion from the original A model Chinook 65-08004.

   On 12 February 1986, 86-01644 was inducted into the D model program, converted, and initially assigned to Fort Rucker, Alabama.

   At some point, 86-01644 was assigned to Company E, 168th Aviation.

   At some point, 86-01644 was assigned to an unknown unit and deployed to the country of Afghanistan.

   At some point, 86-01644 was assigned to C Company - "Flippers", 159th Aviation Regiment, 18th Aviation Brigade, 18th Airborne Corps, Simmons Army Airfield, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

   As of 6 April 2002, the 18th Aviation Brigade was located at Simmons Army Airfield, Fort Bragg, and was subordinate to the 18th Airborne Corps. The 18th Airborne Corps was subordinate to Forces Command (FORSCOM), which was a major command (MACOM) of 2nd Army.

   C Company was the former 196th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Flippers".

   The 196th ASHC was redesignated A Company, 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment in approximately 1988.

   In September 1996, 2nd Battalion was deactivated and the unit was redesignated A Company, 159th Aviation Regiment.

   In approximately November 1996, the unit was redesignated as C Company, 159th Aviation Regiment.

   86-01644 remained with the "Flippers" until it was lost due to enemy action on 30 May 2007 in the upper Sangin Valley in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, while conducting an Air Assault insertion under night vision goggles (NVG).

   86-01644 was assigned the call sign of Flipper 75 for the mission and was Chalk two in a flight of three.

   The flight in was uneventful up to the point of downloading of the troops at the landing zone (LZ).

   Upon departure, Flipper 75 was struck in the nose from a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) that was fired straight up and hit them at about 100 ft AGL.

   At the same time the aircraft was hit between the right main and aft aux fuel tank with another RPG.

   These actions caused the aircraft to nose over and crash.

   The crew of five and two passengers perished in the crash.

   This is believed to be the first direct combat loss of an aircraft assigned to the "Flippers" since the unit's inception over 41 years ago.

   The "Flippers" have been deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, to Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and most recently to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

   As of 30 May 2007, this aircraft was 41.1 years old.

   As of 30 May 2007, the last known location of 86-01644 was in the country of Afghanistan.

   Aircraft status: Shot down.

   Monday, 4 June 2007: - Royal Military Policeman Corporal Mike Gilyeat, 28, was the passenger who died aboard the Chinook that crashed in Helmand Province on May 30th. Although Gilyeat was born in Hanover, Germany (his father was a major in the British Army), he came to live in Southport, just north of Liverpool in Merseyside, as a teenager when his parents settled there.

   Also killed on the last flight of 86-01644 was Canadian Photographer Master Cpl. Darrell Jason Priede.

   Both Gilyeat and Priede were assigned to Regional Command South.

Memorial Photographs

In Memoriam: The last crew of 86-01644.

In Memoriam: The last crew of 86-01644. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operations

The Nose Art of 86-01644

Pictured below are former crewmembers and the nose art they displayed on 86-01644 in the months before the fatal shoot down.

AC/DC nose art painted on both electrical pods of 86-01644 by SGT Giles Allen, Crew Chief, circa 2007. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

The nose art of 86-01644 with SSG Jeff Dvorak standing by the aircraft. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

The first rendition of the nose art displayed on 86-01644 with SGT Giles Allen (left), Crew Chief, and SSG Jeff Dvorak standing by the aircraft, circa 2007. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

This aircraft was piloted by:

CW3 Chris Algaier (Flipper 41), Pilot in Command, 2007, KIA

CW2 Joshua Rodgers, Pilot, 2007, KIA

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This aircraft was crewed by:

SSG Charlie Bagwell, Flight Engineer, 2007, KIA

SGT Brandon Hadaway, Crew Chief, 2007, KIA

SGT Jesse Blemires, Door Gunner, 2007, KIA

SSG Jeff Dvorak, Flight Engineer, 2007

SGT Giles Allen, Crew Chief, 2007

SGT Whitney, Crew Chief, 2007

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