Cause of helicopter crash remains unknown

By Deirdre Fulton

WASHINGTON – The military is launching an investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash that killed Capt. Jay T. Aubin and Cpl. Brian Kennedy, two marines with ties to Maine, early Friday morning.

The CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter went down in Kuwait, about nine miles from the Iraqi border, at 7 p.m. Eastern time, 3 a.m. Iraq time. Defense officials said there was no indication that the helicopter, which had four U.S. and eight British marines on board, was brought down by enemy fire.

Typically, the large Sea Knight is used to transport troops, supplies and equipment from ships at sea or base camps to operations sites, according to the United States Marine Corps. It can carry up to 24,3000 pounds at takeoff and has two large rotors that spin in opposite directions, as opposed to most helicopters that have one set of main rotors and a tail rotor for balance.

First procured in 1964, the helicopter line is old and has not been replaced since it was introduced. It is "eventually expected to be replaced" with the V-22 Osprey, a significantly different type of aircraft that is still in testing, according to Maj. Mike Neumann, a spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Sea Knights are sometimes affectionately called "frogs," said former Navy helicopter pilot Lt. Jim Zoulias, a Boston University ROTC professor. "People will always joke about the frogs as being a very old aircraft," he said, recalling the story of one colleague who said the aircraft were "older than he was."

The average age of a H-46E Sea Knight is 34-and-a-half years, according to Bob Coble of the Naval Air Public Affaris. For all aircraft, the average age is much higher - about 18 years, he said. The Marine Corps refused to speculate whether the crash could have been the cause of an old or malfunctioning aircraft.

Zoulias, who has flown H-60 Sea Hawk helicopters - these are slightly smaller and have the typical top rotor and tail rotor - speculated that the innate dangers that exist for any helicopter pilot may have been at fault.

"Inherently, flying a helicopter that low to the ground is dangerous," he said. Other factors could have included poor visibility because of dust or the difficulty of flying in formation with night vision goggles. Gunflashes, from enemy or friendly fire, can also have a disorienting effect, he said.

Three of the marines were based at Camp Pendleton, in San Diego, California, and one was from the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Arizona. Memorial services will be held at the bases.

The Maine delegation extended its sympathies to the families of the victims.

"Like all Mainers, I am saddened by the deaths of Captain Jay Aubin and Corporal Brian Kennedy." Rep. Thomas Allen said in a statement. "These brave young men have given what Abraham Lincoln so eloquently deemed 'the last full measure of devotion' to their country."

Published in The Kennebec Journal and The Morning Sentinel, in Maine.