2 NATO personnel killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash: Military
International Herald Tribune September 5, 2012
KABUL: A Nato helicopter crashed in Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two Nato personnel in an area south of Kabul that is largely under Taliban control, officials said.
The militia leading a decade-long insurgency against foreign troops claimed to have shot down two helicopters in Logar province, but Nato said the cause of the crash was under investigation.
Afghanistan Black Hawk helicopter crash leaves 7 U.S. troops, 2 Navy SEALS, 1 EOD, 4 others dead, includes 1 Afghan Interpreter
Sean P. Carson, 32, was assigned to an explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit in San Diego. Carson was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Petty Officer, first class.
Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick D. Feeks, 28, was one of seven Americans killed in the crash Thursday during a firefight with insurgents northeast of Kandahar, officials said.
Associated Press August 20, 2012
HONOLULU—U.S. Army officials say four soldiers based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii were killed last week when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Afghanistan.
The Taliban claimed they gunned down the Black Hawk, leading to the crash on Thursday.
Army officials said Monday that among the seven Americans and four Afghans killed were: 37-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Brian Hornsby of Melbourne, Fla., 29-year-old Chief Warrant Officer Suresh Krause, of Cathedral City, Calif., 41-year-old Sgt. Luis Galbreath of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and 23-year-old Sgt. Richard Essex of Kelseyville, Calif.
The soldiers identified were part of Schofield’s 25th Infantry Division.
The crash happened during a firefight with insurgents in a remote area of southern Afghanistan. It’s one of the deadliest air disasters of a war now into its second decade.
Three of the Americans were U.S. Navy sailors – two were Navy SEALS and one was an explosive ordnance disposal sailor.
US Navy SEAL Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick D. Feeks
US Navy Petty Officer First Class EOD Sean P Carson
Luis Galbreath
Reuters August 16, 2012
Eleven people were killed on Thursday in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan, including seven U.S. soldiers and three Afghan allies, the NATO-led force in the country said.
CBS News August 16, 2012
NATO says 11 people, including at least three American troops, have been killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan.
The nationalities of the other casualties was not immediately confirmed, but a statement to the media from the international military coalition said the dead were, “four International Security Assistance Force service members, three United States Forces-Afghanistan service members, three members of the Afghan National Security Forces, and one Afghan civilian interpreter.”
Afghan officials told the Reuters news agency the crash took place in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar province.
The wording suggests four of the dead were members of the International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan (ISAF) from other allied nations, and three were Afghan service personnel, plus the civilian.
US-led coalition helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, 2 NATO service members killed
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A Walla Walla soldier based out of North Carolina was killed Wednesday in an attack in Afghanistan, his family said. First Lt. Mathew “Mat” Fazzari was killed by enemy fire while flying in his first tour in Bagram.
AP at Fox News June 6, 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan – NATO: US-led coalition helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, two NATO service members killed.
James Scott Ozier killed in AAR Helicopter Crash Afghanistan
North Fayette man killed in Afghanistan helicopter accident
A North Fayette Township man was killed last week in a helicopter accident in Afghanistan.
James Scott Ozier, 30, was one of three employees of Palm Bay, Fla.-based AAR Airlift Group who died on Jan. 16 while conducting operations for the U.S. Department of Defense in Helmand Province.
Officials for AAR, which provides airlift services for military and humanitarian operations, said Tuesday they would not comment on Ozier or the circumstances of the accident, but they issued a statement saying the company is cooperating with authorities investigating the incident.
The company took out a full-page advertisement in today’s Times to commemorate Ozier, who they identified as the crew chief on the mission.
In the company’s statement, it said all three killed on Jan. 16 were crew members. An unrelated helicopter crash in the same province killed six people on Jan. 19.
Ozier, formerly of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was buried Tuesday in Sylvania Hills Memorial Park in Daugherty Township
Todd Walker, Contractor, killed in AAR Helicopter Crash Afghanistan

A Rice Lake couple says their son has been killed in a helicopter crash while working in Afghanistan.
Darrell and Jan Walker say their 48-year-old son, Todd, worked for AAR Airlift. He was conducting operations for the U.S. Department of Defense when the chopper crashed in Helmand Province Monday. All three crew members died. There were no other passengers.
The Walkers say Todd transported ammunition and dignitaries, moved troops from base to base and delivered mail to remote areas in Afghanistan. The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram (http://bit.ly/zCyjiR ) says he was a 1981 graduate of Rice Lake High School. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Rice Lake Native dies in Afghanistan helicopter crash
Todd Walker of Arkansas packed a lot of life into his 48 years.
The 1981 Rice Lake High School graduate fought forest fires, worked in emergency medical services out of Duluth, Minn., and scouted schools of tuna in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean – all from his perch as a helicopter pilot.
On Monday, however, Darrell and Jan Walker of Rice Lake received a phone call that their son had died in Afghanistan. The company Todd worked for, Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR Airlift, reported that a helicopter carrying a crew of three employees, including Todd, was involved in an accident in Helmand Province at about 10:45 a.m. Monday.
The team was conducting operations for the U.S. Department of Defense, according to a news release. All three crew members died; there were no other passengers.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. The terrorist group Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility, Jan Walker said, but that has not been substantiated. Marjan Haqmal, police chief of Nad Ali district in Helmand Province, told The Associated Press the Russian-made aircraft probably went down because of a technical malfunction.
Todd transported ammunition and moved troops from base to base in Afghanistan. He also transported dignitaries, his mother said, and delivered mail to remote areas of the country,
“We’re very proud of him,” she said.
Todd also is survived by a wife and three kids, who were scheduled to arrive late Wednesday in Rice Lake. His body was slated to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at about the same time, Jan Walker said. She said it will take a few days for him to arrive in Rice Lake. Services will be at Red Cedar Community Church will conduct services.
Jan said one of her son’s passions was arguing about politics.
“(But) mainly I’ll remember his love for hunting and love for the Packers,” she said.
Michael Clawson, Contractor, Pilot, killed in AAR Helicopter Crash Afghanistan
Helicopter crash in Afghanistan claims life of area man
January 18, 2012
A Clay County helicopter pilot was killed this week in a crash in Afghanistan.
Michael Clawson, who worked for AAR Airlift of Chicago, was in Afghanistan doing work for the U.S. Defense Department.
Clawson leaves a wife and five children, said Father John Bamman, OFM Conv., of St. Joseph’s University Parish, where Clawson and his family attended worship services in Terre Haute.
The crash happened in southern Afghanistan on Monday morning. Two other people were killed, all employees of AAR Airlift, which is a unit of Wood Dale, Ill.-based AAR Corp.
NATO forces reportedly have secured the area of the crash and were attempting to determine what happened, according to news reports.
Funeral arrangements are pending this morning
3 people (US Contractors) killed in civilian helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan
Todd Walker Michael Clawson James Scott Ozier
Three American private contractors working for the Defense Department were killed when their helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Monday, their company said. The contractors’ company, AAR Airlift, said that there were no other passengers on the helicopter and that the cause of the crash was not yet known
AAR Press Release via MsSparky
AAR Airlift Reports Helicopter Accident in Afghanistan
WOOD DALE, ILLINOIS (January 16, 2012) – AAR Airlift, an operating unit of Chicago based AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR) reports that a helicopter carrying a crew of three employees was involved in an accident in Helmand Province, Afghanistan at approximately 10:45 a.m., local time, January 16, while conducting operations for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Company has confirmed that there were three crew member fatalities. The families of all three crew members have been contacted. The Company reports that no passengers were aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Company officials are working closely and cooperating fully with authorities in Afghanistan and stateside. A recovery effort is underway and the cause of the accident is unknown. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
The Company is focused on its employees and their families. A dedicated hotline has been set up for employees and family members at (321) 837-2427 for updates and support information
Update from Monsters and Critics
Kandahar, Afghanistan – A civilian helicopter crashed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand Monday, killing all three foreign nationals on board, the authorities said.
A security official who confirmed the three deaths, but could not verify the nationalities of the victims, said: ‘The helicopter was completely destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire.’
The Russian-made helicopter belonged to the US-based ARR airlift company, a contractor for NATO’s operations in Afghanistan.
Dozens of Russian-built cargo helicopters are used by contractors working for the NATO-led coalition.
The coalition relies heavily on helicopters or airdrops to deliver food and other supplies to remote outposts in order to avoid using roads that are frequently mined by the insurgents. Transport aircraft are also frequently used for airdrops to isolated bases.
Associated Press January 16, 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan — A civilian helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing all three people on board, an Afghan official said.
Marjan Haqmal, police chief of Nad Ali district in Helmand province, said the Russian-made aircraft probably went down because of a technical malfunction.
NATO confirmed that a civilian helicopter crashed Monday in southern Afghanistan. It said the site of the crash has been secured and that coalition forces are trying to gather more information about what happened.
The alliance did not provide information about casualties
NATO Chopper crashes in East Afghanistan
The Associated Press Kabul Afghanistan April 23, 2011
The coalition helicopter crashed Saturday morning in Alasay district of Kapisa province, northeast of Kabul. No further details have been disclosed about the crash, which is under investigation.
Aziz Rahman Tawab, acting provincial governor in Kapisa province, said the helicopter crashed into the side of a mountain.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in a telephone conversation that Taliban insurgents shot down the helicopter with a rocket. He claimed other coalition helicopters later flew to the crash site and fired weapons to destroy the wreckage.
Aircraft are used extensively in Afghanistan by both NATO and the Afghan government forces to transport and supply troops because the terrain is mountainous and roads are few and primitive.
American Civilian Wounded in Afghan Helicopter Crash that Killed Nine Service Members
Nine NATO soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash Tuesday in Afghanistan.
Four sailors died in a helicopter crash Sept. 21 during combat operations in the Zabul province, Afghanistan; killed were:
Lt. Brendan J. Looney, 29, of Owings, Md., assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL Team;
Senior Chief Petty Officer David B. McLendon, 30, of Thomasville, Ga., assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit;
Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam O. Smith, 26, of Hurdland, Mo., assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL Team;
Petty Officer 3rd Class Denis C. Miranda, 24, of Toms River, N.J., assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL Team.
_Five soldiers died in a helicopter crash Sept. 21 during combat operations in Zabul province, Afghanistan; killed were:
Maj. Robert F. Baldwin, 39, of Muscatine, Iowa, assigned to Brigade Headquarters 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.;
Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Wagstaff, 34, of Orem, Utah, assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.;
Chief Warrant Officer Jonah D. McClellan, 26, of St. Louis Park, Minn., assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.;
Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell, 25, of Pleasant Plains, Ill., assigned to 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.;
Sgt. Marvin R. Calhoun Jr., 23, of Elkhart, Ind., assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Nine NATO soldiers died in a helicopter crash Tuesday in Afghanistan, making 2010 officially the deadliest year of the nine-year Afghanistan war.
That somber milestone comes as United States troops take over for British troops in Helmand – one of Afghanistan‘s most troubled southern provinces –amid an ongoing “surge” designed to bring anti-government Taliban militants to heel and shore up a fragile central government in Kabul.
The Taliban took immediate responsibility for the deaths, but NATO said the cause of the crash was still under investigation, according to Agence France-Presse.
AFP quoted a provincial spokesman saying that the helicopter went down in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan, where Taliban still hold sway in many areas. Two other American soldiers, an Afghan soldier and American civilian were wounded in the crash, The Washington Post reported. Read More here
Damages sought in death of civilian
The father of a 23-year-old Baton Rouge man killed in July 2009 in a helicopter crash at the Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan is seeking damages from several contractors, including the Baton Rouge firm that employed his son.
John deMarsche was one of 16 civilians — and one of two Americans — killed onboard the helicopter that crashed July 19, 2009, near the runway just after takeoff.
DeMarsche was employed by Baton Rouge-based Arkel International as a construction manager and worked as a civilian contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At the time of the crash, he was in Afghanistan overseeing construction of water wells for the military.
DeMarsche’s father, Jeffrey “Jimmy’’ deMarsche, alleges in a lawsuit filed on the anniversary of the crash that the helicopter was defective.
He claims the equipment was inadequate and poorly maintained, and that the maintenance and flight crews were underqualified and improperly and inadequately trained.
The suit seeks damages for mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life, as well as punitive damages from the defendants “to discourage future reckless and wanton disregard for the safety and lives of persons using their facilities.’’
The named defendants are Arkel, Fluor Intercontinental, SkyLink Air & Logistic Support USA, and Vertical-T.
None of those companies could be reached for comment.
The suit contends Arkel and Fluor contracted with SkyLink and Vertical-T to transport John deMarsche. The helicopter was owned by SkyLink and/or Vertical-T, the suit says.
The suit, filed in state district court in Baton Rouge, has been assigned to Judge Wilson Fields.
Civilian Helicopter Crash Lands in Afghanistan
Further south, NATO said a civilian contractor’s helicopter crash-landed Sunday in Paktia province, killing one civilian on the ground and slightly injuring three crew members. NATO said the cause of the hard landing was being investigated, but there were no reports of insurgent involvement.