Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter 09-08778.

09-08778

The unit patch of B Company - "Sugar Bears", 1st General support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment unit patch circa May 2012. Click-N-Go Here to view more unit patches.

Property of

B Company - "Sugar Bears"

1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB)

52nd Aviation Regiment

Fort Wainwright, Alaska

2012

Monday, 24 October 2011: CH-47F Chinook helicopter 09-08778 made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Lower Alloways Creek Township, New Jersey, late Sunday afternoon. The details are unknown. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

   09-08778, Boeing Vertol Tab Number M8778, was a CH-47F helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 31 October 2011 at 7.9 aircraft hours. As of 10 May 2012, 09-08778 accumulated 90.0 aircraft hours.

   09-08778 was a new build airframe with all new components installed.

   At some point in 2011 after modifications were (M4 Gun Mount, IRSS, ARC-231, Fifth Sensor, Left/Right Cabin Door Gunner's Seat) completed at Millville Airport, New Jersey, 09-08778 was flown to Hunter Army Airfield (AAF), near Savannah, Georgia.

   At Hunter AAF, 09-08778 was utilized extensively for the training of multiple flight crews undergoing CH-47F Aircraft Qualification conducted by members of S3 Incorporated New Equipment Training Team (NETT). The NET Team was under contract from the Project Managers Office - Cargo Helcopters, Aviation Missile Command (AMCOM), located at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, to conduct the worldwide fielding and training for the CH-47F Chinook helicopter.

   In April 2012, 09-08778 was transferred to Company B - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment, Ladd Field, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to support the NETT training of that unit. The aircraft arrived at Ladd Field at 90.0 aircraft hours, having accumulated 30.7 hours on the Georgia to Alaska Ferry Flight.

   Tasked by the Program Managers Office, the NET Team - led by Tim McCall (Director of Flight Operations for the CH-47F NET Team) - formulated a plan to ferry the aircraft from Hunter AAF via the Alaska Canada (ALCAN) Highway. 09-08778 was Chalk 4 in a flight of four, part of Sortie 3 of three sorties.

   The flight departed Hunter AAF on 24 April 2012 and arrived at Ladd Field on 29 April 2012. The trip was completed in six days without any weather delays.

   As of 8 May 2012, the last known location of 09-08778 was at Ladd Field.

   Aircraft status: Flyable.

CH-47F Chinook helicopter 09-08778 on the ramp at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, 29 March 2012. Click-N-Go Here to view a larger image.

The following CH-47F Chinook helicopters were fielded to B Company - "Sugar Bears", 1st General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), 52nd Aviation Regiment, located on Ladd Field, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, beginning in April 2012 and used to support the unit train-up. Airframes are routinely reassigned as necessary so there is no telling where there are now.