Army releases copter crash report

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

The Army yesterday released findings linking a fatal helicopter crash Feb. 12 to one pilot's unexplained actions that caused two of the aircraft to collide — a conclusion some family members refused to accept as adequate.

Ann MacDonald, whose husband died in the Feb. 12 crash of two Black Hawk helicopters, is greeted by Maj. Gen. James Dubik. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Six soldiers were killed when a Black Hawk hauling a Humvee ran into the rotor blades of another aircraft in a formation of four.

Eleven soldiers in the second helicopter were injured in one of the worst Army training accidents in Hawai'i history.

Division commander Maj. Gen. James M. Dubik issued a letter of reprimand to aviation battalion commander Lt. Col. Paul R. Disney Jr. for failing to conduct adequate mission planning, rehearsal and risk assessment.

But he also stated in the collateral investigation report that the "direct cause" of the accident was the failure of the pilot to keep separation from the other aircraft "for reasons we will never know."

Ann MacDonald, whose husband Bob MacDonald, a crew chief, was among the dead, flew in from California looking for a better answer.

"My husband died for reasons we will never know?"she said. "That is totally unacceptable."

Bob MacDonald had unsuccessfully sought to have the day of the crash off for his son's third birthday.

Ann MacDonald said based on the information she was given, "They shouldn't have been doing the mission they were doing."

One pilot had reported concerns about wind conditions at the landing zone, and rain caused visibility to fall below minimum standards for short periods of time.

The investigation found that the forward momentum of the heavier aircraft — placed at the rear of the formation — may have made it more difficult to slow the helicopter down.

Ann MacDonald yesterday said command "should have received harsher punishment."

Heather Barber, the widow of crew chief Sgt. Thomas Barber, said yesterday that the investigation was "done incompletely to all of our standards."

But Dubik said the investigation by Col. Terry Peck was thorough. Peck was aviation training brigade commander at Ft. Rucker, Ala., at the time.

"There are no words to express the deep sense of loss this division has experienced," Dubik said.

Procedural changes have followed in the wake of the accident. Among them is a requirement that the lead helicopter carry the heaviest load unless the aviation brigade commander gives approval for otherwise.