Anyone ever fall out of a Huey?

You definitely don't wanna go Zero G in a Huey or Cobra though... Tends to do nasty things like separate the rotor from the aircraft.  Gets you into what's called "Mast bumping", which basically bangs the rotor against the mast and if done too much, the rotor simply snaps off.  Semi-rigid rotors are kinda touchy that way. 

Jon

...I happen to be a private pilot (fixed wing), but when I was a cadet, we rode hueys a lot on exercises...the first time we rode, we were told by the crew chief to roll our BDU sleeves down and fasten the top button of our collars...we asked why, since it was in the summer time. Answer: "So when we crash your burns won't be so bad"...hmmmmm...never crashed though. One thing I noticed the huey pilots did a lot during low level flight was cool: one flew while the other looked at a sectional map and gestured with his hand the "lay of the land" coming up, so the pilot could keep the copter as low to the trees as possible...dude would gesture a dip coming up, and pilot would be ready to dip down....awesome...

Eric,

Actually the pilot with the map was navigating and keeping them on course, not keeping the pilot flying informed of the "dips" in the terain.  Initially they wouldn't let the Crew Chief, Medic or Gunner fly during NOE training since it was considered extremely dangerous.  Later the let them fly along and it was one "heck" of a ride, especially in a hilly area. I actually got some stick time and did some limited NOE flying.  It was are real rush!   

NOE?

Nap of the earth.

While station at MCAS Kaneohe in the mid 70's, on my days off I use to go over to one of the helo squadrons for hops (joy rides) on the Huey's. The best rides were when a new pilot was getting his first Fam flight and we would fly all over Ohau. On one flight the crew chief decided not to go so it was just the 2 pilots and me in the back. As we were skimming over the water off of Wakiki, doors opened and my legs over the edge, I moved from the port to starboard side for a better view without first informing the crew and when the pilot looked over his shoulder he was a little bit upset, he was concern that if he had to suddenly bank hard I could have gone out the aircraft.   

this is a little late- I just found out about this link.  But for anyone still here or who also finds this link I'll add my 2 cents. 

 I was Vietnam door gunner on UH-1H - the c.c. and I flew w/o our 'monkey belts'.  You were supposed to tie all equipment down and I've caught stuff that wasn't and went sliding towards the open door when we banked sharply.  I lost a short length of belted ammo once, when it started out of its can like a slinky before I could grab it.  On a night time flare mission our pilot got vertigo and the flare cylinders lying in the halved-55 gal drum attachment began to roll toward the top of the drum and almost exited on their own.  Walking around inside the cabin wasn't the healthiest thing to do if the pilot did any fast or sharp maneuvers that could throw you off balance. One time I had to bring something from the cabin to one of the pilots and felt that I could have lost my footing and fallen out while they maneuvered around.   

But I never saw or heard of anyone fall out of a Huey.  According to the casualty stats though, almost half of the injured crewmen were injured in "non-combat situations."  I don't know how the military defines that or how they break it down.

 

empeter wrote:

I've seen weapons and other equipment fall out, but never people. When I was a cadet we were getting a familiarization flight in a UH-1H. I was on the starboard side along with a female cadet who wasn't too keen to fly. When the crew chief came around to check that our seatbelts were secure she asked him if there was a chance of falling out if the aircraft banked sharply. He told her that centrifugal force would keep her in, but I pointed out the the same force would push her out the upward facing side. He walked away laughing so hard that he didn't hear her yelling, "Is that true? Is it?"

 I've heard this story from my dad,(huey pilot). Would have been back around 76 or so. Ft. Knox if I'm not mistaken?

I've never seen it, but I've heard of it. I flew as a gunner in Huey's in the Corps and later in Blackhawks for the Army. 

Now I did jump form a Huey once while it was still a little too high. Screwed my knee up royally. 

Nope not a person; however when training at Ft Leonard Wood , we were in flight in a huey.  We were trained that when in a chopper to have the muzzle between our feet on the floor.  Well next thing I know I see an M16 go out the door.................yep kid wasnt paing attention to what he was doing and that puppy went right out. I dont ever think in all my years in the Army did I ever hear a Sgt scream so loud for so long. 

They took him out for 5 days humping the mud, bogs and nasty s*** till he finally found it.  Needless to say we didnt see much of him after that, I think he was on his way for duty in Greenland or charlies chicken farm (jail).

 

Bob

A guy I know actually fell out of a huey, well not technically a huey I guess.

 

He was working a fire in North Western Ontario (Canada) helping unload/airdrop fire hose from the Bell 205 with the door open at a 50 foot or so hover. As the hoses started doppig (in yellow bags) the crew boss on the ground started counting one... two... three... and so on, untl he got to TEN!.

The pilot (Whom I also know)  YELLED 10?? 10?? there were only 9!!! Then on the ground, in some deep moss, my friend got up and brushed some moss off...  So people have fallen out of them.

There is another story from mexico with not so funny ending, where the federal police were doing drug eradication, when one of the officers in the back saw the crew chief strain against the monkey harness. When the CC leaned back in the cop UNHOOKED the harness from the floor, and the next time the CC leaned out, he fell to his death.

Both stories are unfortunately true too...

Falling out of a Helicopter!

 Yes, you can fall from a helicopter and it has been done.  On 13 Feb 71, Cpt. F.P. Smith, an EOD qualified Chemical Officer, assigned to the 1^st Cav. Div. (AMBL) died as the result of such a fall.  While conducting chemical dispenser operations from a UH-1H Huey at an altitude of approximately 1,500 feet a portion of the aircraft’s payload of BLU E158 Tactical CS dispensers functioned inside the cabin of the aircraft.  This allowed 264 D-cell battery-sized CS bomblets to start detonating within the cabin.

Although the copilot was wearing a protective mask the cockpit quickly filled with CS and all ground reference was lost.  The aircraft soon entered into an ‘unusual attitude’ as the copilot fought to regain control.  Once positive control was established the aircraft the copilot entered autorotation in an out-of-trim configuration to help rid the cabin of CS.  Once the cabin was clear it was realized that Capt. Smith was missing.  The aircraft made an emergency landing at the nearest US firebase.  All aircraft crewmembers and mission crew members from the chemical unit were subsequently evacuated to Camp Zama, Japan due to a variety of 2^nd and 3^rd burns.  Capt. Smith’s body was recovered three days later.

 I have personal knowledge of another incident that fortunately ended much happier.  This event too took place in SEA.   A PAX was sitting on the cabin floor immediately behind the copilot, right side of the aircraft in this case, with feet and legs out of the aircraft, not at all an unusual seating arrangement during this era.   The aircraft was loaded with MERMITE cans being backhauled from a line company that were settling in for the night.  The Aircraft Commander (AC) was taking pictures and the copilot was on the controls.  As a result abrupt, out-of-trim maneuver by the copilot to avoid dangerous situation all of the MERMITE cans shifted against the back of the individual sitting on the floor.  He was pushed out the door to point that his billfold was past the lip of the floor.  Until this time he had been holding onto one of the round openings in the cabin wall which is located behind the pilot’s seats.  However, due to the sharp edges on this opening he was not able to support his weight.  Everyone in the aircraft was absorbed in watching an action on the ground and had not realized how this situation had developed.  Fortunately the individual involved grabbed the copilot’s shoulder harness that runs from the top of his seat to the inertia real which is located on the bottom of the seats back.   This action abruptly jerked the copilot off the aircraft controls and into the back of his seat.  This initiated a great WTF that resulted in, the almost out of the aircraft, PAX being retrieved by many helping hands from within.

Regards,

Michael A.

I remember trying to get out of a UH-1 during an insertion, only to be held up by a chalk member who was a large Samoan.  He froze and had ahold of the bench bar.  The problem was that my hand was holding it as well and he basically locked me in place until i could pry his fingers loose.

That's what you get when you go NOE with a first-timer.  I don't think I could feel anything above my wrist for a few days.

in all m time with det 6 40arrs.  nobody fell out.   we did push a few pj's out, but they had chutes on, so that dosen't count