1987 — June 22, US Army helicopter reservist training flight crash, Fort Hood, TX –all 10

–10 Aviation Safety Network. US Army UH-1H Iroquois crash, Fort Hood TX, 22-Jun-1987.
–10 Big Spring Herald, TX. “10 die in helicopter crash.” 6-23-1987, p. 3A.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: 22-Jun-1987
….
“Type: Bell UH-1H Iroquois
“Owner/Operator: United States Army Aviation
“Registration: 67-17621
….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
….
“Location: Fort Hood, TX
….
“Narrative: Crashed during exercise “Starburst 87”. Low-level orientation flight of
reservists.”

Newspaper

June 23: “Fort Hood – Officials at Fort Hood say an annual two-week training exercise will go on, despite the deaths of 10 Army reservists in a helicopter crash. A low-flying helicopter participating in massive Texas National Guard and Army Reserve maneuvers crashed near the base’s western boundary Monday, killing everyone aboard….

“About 13,000 Texas National Guard 49th Armored Division members and 5,000 soldiers of Army reserve support units from 20 states have been participating in the combat-readiness exercise called ‘Starburst ‘87’ since June 13. In continues through this weekend. The part-time soldiers, who meet for light training at least once a month, are using more than 75 of the Guard’s helicopters and 600 of its tanks and armored personnel carriers in one of its largest-ever maneuvers.

‘Guard officials said the crash of the UH-1 Huey helicopter was the deadliest in recent memory to befall the Texas National Guard.

“Four of the victims, all crew members, were from the 353rd Engineer Group in Oklahoma City and the other six, who were passengers in the helicopter, were from the 489th Engineer Battalion based in Little Rock, Ark., said Maj. William Coleman, spokesman for the Guard’s 49th Armored Division.

“The U.S. Army early today identified six of the 10 victims. The names of the others were being withheld pending notification of relatives… A second helicopter on the scene whisked away one of the victims to Darnall Army Community Hospital on the Army base, but he died about an hour after the 9:45 a.m. crash, military officials said.

“Army officials say the helicopter was on an orientation flight and was slightly above tree-top level when it went down in a flat, grassy area surrounded by rocky slopes and trees. The chopper apparently erupted in flames on impact, leaving a tangle of charred metal that hampered investigators’ efforts to remove the bodies. The last victim was removed almost four hours after the crash….”(Big Spring Herald, TX. “10 die in helicopter crash.” 6-23-1987, p. 3A.

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. US Army UH-1H Iroquois crash, Fort Hood TX, 22-Jun-1987. Accessed 7-24-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/77027

Big Spring Herald, TX. “10 die in helicopter crash.” 6-23-1987, p. 3A. Accessed 7-24-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/big-spring-herald-jun-23-1987-p-3/