ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 76908
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 September 1977 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bell OH-58A Kiowa |
| Owner/operator: | 'A' Company, 503rd Aviation Batallion, US Army |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Eschslufiher, near Leipheim, Bavaria, West Germany -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Written off (destroyed) 13 September 1977: crashed in the first day of Reforger '77 exercise Carbon Edge. The OH-58 Kiowa picked up passengers at a field site and climbed to 85-90 feet AGL, with speed faster than a hover and slower than normal cruise. Pilot made a tight right turn to avoid hitting wires but tail struck the wires and the helicopter began to spin to right approx 6 times and crashed into trees.
Of the four person on board one was killed, and three were seriously injured. Contemporary press reports named the sole fatality as 1st Lt John H.B. Krueger. His obituary provides greater details:
"An aircraft accident took the life of Lieutenant John Burke Krueger, Headquarters, 2d Brigade of the 1st Division on 13 September 1977. Bruce was a passenger in an OH-58 helicopter which struck a high tension wire in the vicinity of Eschslufiher, West Germany. After hitting the wire, the helicopter crashed into a tree, and the impact threw Bruce from the aircraft. He suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by a German doctor. Before being sent to Germany for training exercises, Bruce was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Memorial services were held at the United States Army Headquarters in West Germany before the body was brought back to Metropolis, Illinois, for burial. Funeral services were held on 23 September 1977 at the First Baptist Church in Metropolis".
Sources:
1. http://www.armyaircrews.com/kiowa.html
2. https://www.westpointaog.org/memorials
3. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/resources/itncollection?s=ulms
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Sep-2010 14:30 | ASN Archive | |
| 17-Apr-2015 13:39 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
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