CENTENNIAL, Colo. - The Colorado Army National Guard assisted in
the recovery of a U.S. Coast Guard MH-60TJay Hawk helicopter that crashed in
a remote mountainous area of Utah March 3.
One Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter departed Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora,
Colo., March 12. The CH-47 will stop at the High Altitude Army National Guard
Aviation Training Site near Vail, Colo., to pick up additional personnel,
then depart for the crash site. Fifteen COARNG Citizen-Soldiers, including
two pilots, have been tasked for the mission.
The CH-47 will arrive on the scene to sling load the downed helicopter for
extraction. The CH-47 has extensive lift capabilities that allow it to carry
more than 19,000 pounds of cargo even at altitudes over 10,000 feet. The
CH-47 crew will transport the wreckage to a nearby clearing where the Utah
National Guard will take over with ground transportation.
The mission is expected to be completed today but could carry over into
tomorrow if weather inhibits completion.
HAATS is located in the small mountain town of Gypsum, Colo., near Vail. The
school caters to rotor-wing military pilots from all over the world.
Graduates of this challenging course leave with the knowledge of a unique
training system known as power management. This training concept, when
applied rigorously, gives pilots the knowledge and confidence to operate
their machines routinely and safely at maximum gross weights in any
environment.
While the primary role of HAATS is to train, the facility also assists with
search and rescue missions when terrain or altitude makes landing a civilian
emergency service aircraft questionable or there is a need for specialized
military equipment.