Anyone ever fall out of a Huey?

DBFSS385,

I agree with you that "not a good day" didn't really go much into the events on Robert's Ridge.  the author was very critical of what the SEALs did durring Anaconda.  All I know is what i read in the books and "Robert's Ridge" has a lot of info that was not covered in other books or articles.  I am a reservist with HCS-5 who has been activated for about two years.  Our primary missions are CSAR and Navy SPECWAR.  In Iraq our squadron worked with SEALs and other coalition Special Forces.  I am no expert on any Special Operation units or actions especially stuff that happened n Afghanistan.  In Iraq my job was to fix the weapon systems on our HH-60H helicopters.  HCS-4 our east coast counterpart is currently deployed to Iraq doing many different missions.  I think what happened on that ridge was tragic,  I really respect those guys who do what only those few men can do.

Jose

Hi Jose,

I have it from good sources ( my Son who was Neil "Fifi's" dive buddy )and was on a area ridge top while this all happened and was privy to much of the RT and visual that took place there. The book "Not a good day to die" is not a very good book about this event.. I won't go into long details here but The book "Robert's Ridge" is a very good account of what happened there.

My Son was then and is still assigned to DEVGRU.. I look forward to the day he can tell me more about Nav Spec ops in Afganistasn and Iraq since 9/11, I had the honor of meeting Neil at a Team reunion in Little Creek the Summer before 9/11.   Your version of the Go Go GO is what they believe Fifi may have heard and he departed the AC while it was buy then several feet off the ground...FiFi was armed with a M4 not a SAW........

Mixing different specop people on combined missions has gotten much better since then but it did have a bad start.

 

If a pilot would put the Huey in a high angle bank in a decending turn you would get light enough to "slip" out.  I had one occassion this happened with a patient on a stretcher that started to slide across the deck but hung up on a protruding tie down ring.  We weren't Medevac and we were in the "wells" maning our "60's" after having picked up this Vietnamese that had been bitten by a shark on a small island off of Chu Lai while we there on another "mission".  My pilots were Battalion Officers who "borrowed" my bird for the flight.  They had passed up the Medevac Hospital and did a "non-standard" turn to set up the steep approach.  I can still see the patient's whites of his eyes as he started to slide out the open door.  The troop seat were in and bottoms raised up and I wouldn't have been able to grab him.  First a shark bit then an almost "burial" at sea from a helicopter.  I had almost forgot about the incident.  So I "almost" had someone fall out of a Huey! 

I can't remember what book I read this in, but there was an account of guy getting thrown out of a Huey as the pilot sharply tilted to the side to avoid incoming fire in a LZ in Vietnam.  Note that was tilting, not banking.  Guy was either badly hurt or killed as a results. 

 A friend of mine here at work fell out of a sitting Medevac chopper, much to the delight of those of us who saw him. He was just clumsy, though.
 In my military days the only time I remember hearing of such was when something catastrophic had occured to the A/C and it was beyond any control at that point anyway.

                                                                             -60

well people didn't actually fall on accident from the Hueys alot of the time they were shot out or thrown out by ROK (republic of korea) interrogators (and yes this happened alot during the Vietnam war).

Many thanks for taking the time to post those answers. They clear up something I've been wondering about every time a see a pic or film such as those in the question.

Cheers,   Rich

I have had a time or two during external load ops when a pilot let the A/C get WAY out of trim in a turn where I could have slid out but that is over 12 years on the job.  The only times that I know that someone made an unplanned departure from the A/C have been during a real deal go-around on an air assault with some sort of evasive action to avoid an obstacle or A/C.

Mac

Hi Rich,

   Chris and Mel nailed it... the aircraft maintains at least 1 positive G in normal operations.    Turns increase the G Force, but also insures everyone stays planted where they are.      If the aircraft were to go into Zero G while maneuvering, any crewmember who isn't restrained could "float" out, but there isn't too many pilots who would go into a controlled Zero G condition if they had personnel in the doors, regardless of what's happening outside.

   Of course, there were instances where ships were hit and lost the Tail Rotor while near the ground on an Air Assault, causing it to start spinning, but to intentionally put their aircraft into a configuration that would eject non restrained personnel, just don't happen.    (that pilot would end up an E-2 working some remote POL location!)

   Maybe a better question would be; Anyone ever fell OFF of a Huey?

Take care,

Frank

i once fell on my face while walking onto the LZ on the radio calling the birds in  

 

i just fell didnt even put my arms out or nothing  everyone there thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen

 

 

k

 

 

Thanks for clearing that up.  I heard the story on the history channel a couple of years ago, and I got a few important details wrong. 

Semper Fi,

Chris

Ridleusmc,

you're talking about ABH1 Neil Roberts a SEAL with DEVGRU.  His team was being inserted via MH-47 on the top of a mountain.  The helo took fire and was hit.  the events only took a few minutes.  Roberts either sliped out the back or ran off, at the time the ramp crewman was yelling "GO,GO,GO" into his ICS.  Roberts could have mistaken this as the signal to leave the bird.  The aircraft landed 7 miles away without furter casualties.  The ramp gunner also fell out but he was straped in.  there are a couple books out about this battle.  later that day a Ranger QRF landed on the same mountain and battled the enemy the whole day.  Roberts Ridge tells about the fight starting with the SEALS and finishing with the Rangers fight in order a very good book.  Not a Good day to Die is more about Operation Anaconda but it does mention Neil Roberts and Nathan Self and his Rangers.  However niether book has Roberts firing his SAW from inside the aircraft.  I'm in a helo squadron and I know our crewmen wouldn't want someone firing form insided the bird.

Jose 

I never heard of any stories in my Unit in Vietnam are after during my 7 years in the Army Reserves crewing Medevacs.  I'm sure it probably happened but was a very rare occurance.  The design of the Huey pretty much keeps positive G's on everyone in the cabin during normal flight operations.   

I remeber some Vietnam Veterans (friends of my dad) talking about this topic.  Apparently, people are held onto the floor of the helicopter by centrifical force when the helicopter is banking.  People are held into place during level flight by gravity.  One of the veterans stated "You'd almost have try in order to fall out of a helicopter." 

My own experience is on CH-53E's, which has enclosed cabins.  I know that aircrew have fallen out of the "Hell Hole" (a trap door in the center of the cabin used for lifting external loads).  However, I don't know of anybody else falling from the 53.  I'd imagine it is possible for people who aren't strapped in to fall out at the ramp if the A/C is at a severe nose-up attitude.  However, I think a person would "Almost have to try in order to fall out of the helicopter." 

I know a story about a special ops guy falling off of the ramp of a Chinook in Afghanistan.  He was firing his SAW from the ramp when the helicopter had to do some violent manuvering to avoid ground fire. The ramp of a cargo helicopter is a dangerous place for people who aren't strapped in, especially if they aren't part of the helicopter crew.  The guy probably didn't have time to get off of the ramp or strap himself in, he was too busy returning fire.  He probably saved that Chinook and everybody on it.    

Semper Fi,

Chris     

haven't heard of any canadian troops falling out of a twin huey or griffon ever. but i think the centriphical force (hope thats spelled right) keeps the guys on the cabin floor.