Iraqi Aircraft Crashes; Americans on Board

[maddezmom]

1 minute ago



BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi Air Force aircraft crashed Monday in eastern Diyala province during an operational mission with four Americans and one Iraqi on board, the military said. It was not immediately clear if the four Americans were in the military or what their condition was.

The announcement did not say what had happened to the five people in the aircraft. The military would not comment on their condition.

An announcement said that "Iraqi aircraft" crashed sometime before noon, but did not say what type it was — a helicopter or something else.

The military said there were "four U.S. personnel and one Iraqi on board" and that U.S. coalition forces "secured the immediate area. The names, status and units of on board personnel are being withheld until further investigation by onsite officials."

~snip~
more: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050530/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_crash_1

[Barrett808]

1. Another shootdown? n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. The Iraqis seem to be getting better at shotting stuff down

and since this is becoming about the only way to get anywhere in Iraq, I expect we will be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing.

[saigon68]

26. This REEKS of a Special Ops Mission

Like the Pilatus Porter flown by Air America



Air America ramp Saigon. Pilatus Porter, Dornier & Helio Courier.

[IndianaGreen]

3. According to CNN crawler, they are all dead

We don't know if the US dead are contractors, military, or US government civilians.

CNN crawler:

Iraqi plane carrying four U.S. personnel and one Iraqi crashes in Iraq, the Coalition Press Information Center says. Details soon.

[Jackpine Radical]

11. In other words, we don't know exactly which branch

of the Imperial American Mercenary Forces these personnel belonged to.

[rodeodance]

12. "Coalition Press Information Center"--did not know it was

called this.

[me b zola]

15. That jumped out at me as well

:wtf:


So the "free press" works for the pentagon/US government??

[bemildred]

4. Military aircraft crashes in eastern Iraq

An Iraqi Air Force aircraft has crashed northeast of Baghdad close to the Iranian border with four US personnel and an Iraqi on board, according to a US military statement.

Sources said the aircraft went down during a sandstorm on Monday near the town of Khanaqin shortly before noon (0800 GMT). It was not immediately clear if the aircraft was a helicopter or a fixed-wing plane.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F8020997-08DA-4B3D-8C74-715F19A04E74.htm

[leetrisck]

5. "Iraqi Air Force"

how interesting.

[daleo]

6. An Iraqi Air Force aircraft?

Or a U.S. aircraft with some hastily painted on Iraqi markings.

Or possibly a merc helicopter being "leased to the Iraqi government", to make things look a bit less colonial.

[maddezmom]

7. perhaps a recon mission

crash close to the border of Iran :shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

9. It does sound like a merc or special ops craft with Iraqi markings

There is not Iraqi air force! I wonder what those fools were up to, but whatever it was, it wasn't kosher, and they didn't want the finger pointed at the US. Unfortunately for them, fate intervened!

[Englander]

27. There is an Iraqi Air Force;

if a couple dozen 'planes counts as an air force;

"
>snip

In April 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) revealed that first progress had been made in the rebuild of the Iraqi Air Force. Duties of the IqAF include policing Iraq's borders and conducting surveillance of national assets. The CPA announced that the Iraqi Air Force would be equipped with the following hardware:

* 6 C-130B Hercules transport aircraft by April 2005;
* 16 UH-1H helicopters by April 2005;
* A squadron of light reconnaissance aircraft by late summer 2004.

In October and November more information surfaced and information about orders was published. The first type to become operational within the rebuild IqAF was the Jordanian built SBL7-360 Seeker. Two of these light reconnaissance airplanes are now based at Al Basrah. These are soon to be followed by sixteen SAMA CH2000 aircraft that are expected to be delivered by December. In November the UAE announced the donation of four Bell 206Bs (probably ex UAE Air Force) and seven newly produced Comp Air 7SL aircraft. The first four UH-1H helicopters are expected to enter service in January 2005 at Al Taji Air Base."

http://www.scramble.nl/iq.htm

[ConfuZed]

10. I wonder if it was piloted by an iraqi and he crashed it...

Not like they would report that if it happened.

[lebkuchen]

8. Invasions are hell!

[dArKeR]

13. "Head Injury" = "RPG Explodes on Head" - "Crashed in Sand Storm" =

"Blown out of Sky"

Nothing but lies and smiles on Memorial Day!



Below is unedited pic on Monday May 30, 2005 of the two murderers:

I can't find the yahoo link now. Can someone please post it so we have a factual record to prove this picture and date!

[daleo]

17. Yikes - the Riddler and the Joker. n/t

[dArKeR]

28. THanks to TacticalPeek for finding the link I lost!

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/050529/480/dcev10105291719&g=events/ts/052605memorialday;_ylt=As6qdUXmSzhpsuV6h5YPwA0Gw_IE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3bGk2OHYzBHNlYwN0bXA-

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050530/ap_on_go_pr_wh/memorial_day_5

[maddezmom]

14. update: Iraqi Plane Crashes With U.S. GIs Aboard

BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Iraqi Air Force aircraft carrying four U.S. military personnel and an Iraqi crashed Monday northwest of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The conditions of the five were not immediately clear.


An announcement said an Iraqi aircraft crashed sometime before noon, but it did not specify what type of aircraft.

The military said four U.S. personnel and one Iraqi were on board, and U.S. coalition forces secured the area. The identities of the personnel on board were not released.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. military in Baghdad, Sgt. Kate Neuman, said the four Americans were military personnel.

~snip~

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050530/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_crash_4

[daleo]

18. An Iraqi Air Force aircraft, carrying 4 U.S. soldiers?

Um, why wouldn't they just use one of their own? There is something very fishy about the story.

[bemildred]

19. There are no GIs these days, either. nt

[0007]

16. An Iraqi Air Force aircraft - but no one knows what kind of aircraft

it was because the Iraqi Air Force is so large it hard to get an accurate report.

[Barrett808]

20. Iraqi helicopter crashes, killing all five on board

Iraqi helicopter crashes, killing all five on board
www.chinaview.cn 2005-05-31 04:38:55

BAGHDAD, May 30 (Xinhuanet) -- An Iraqi helicopter crashed Monday in the eastern province of Diyala, killing all five people on board, a source in Iraq's Defence Ministry told Xinhua.

"An Iraqi helicopter crashed today in Jalulaa region of eastern Iraq's Diyala province, and the Iraqi pilot, as well as a US officer and three soldiers were killed," said the source who asked not to be identified.

The same source explained that three bodies of the killed have been found and the other two bodies are still being searched.

The US military confirmed later in the day that "an Iraqi Air Force aircraft crashed on May 30 in eastern Diyala province during an operational mission with four US personnel and one Iraqi on board."

(more)

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/31/content_3023769.htm

[leftchick]

21. 74 Dead in May, 1661 total and 750 Iraqis Dead in May....

and the chimpass* says we will stay till the "job is done".

:(

[Flagg]

22. Four U.S Air Force Airmen killed in Iraq (#1663)

FIVE CONFIRMED DEAD IN IRAQI AIR FORCE CRASH


BAGHDAD, Iraq – Four U.S. Air Force and one Iraqi Air Force Airmen were killed May 30 when an Iraqi Air Force Comp Air 7SL aircraft crashed in eastern Diyala province during an operational mission.

The aircraft belonged to the 3rd Squadron of the Iraqi Air Force and is a single engine high-winged aircraft used for both surveillance and transport of personnel. The Iraqi Air Force had seven of these aircraft in its inventory.

The crash occurred near Jalula which is approximately 50 miles northeast of Ba’qubah. The aircraft departed Kirkuk Air Base at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time on a mission to Jalula.

The crash was reported to the Joint Communications Center in Khanaqin at 12:00 local time by an Iraqi civilian. Iraqi and Coalition forces in the area responded to the crash site and secured the immediate area.

The names of the Airmen killed are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Content for this release was provided by U.S. Army Lt. Col. Frederick P. Wellman, PAO for the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq. He can be reached on e-mail at [e-mail].

http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/Casualty_Report.asp?CasualtyReport=20050538.txt

[rodeodance]

23. rest in peace all. no reason given in this short release.

[Ripley]

24. Well it had to have been a lightning strike or sandstorm.

Because we already killed all of the hanger-oners and dead-enders and Zarqawi is bleeding to death in a spider hole.

Mission Accomplished.

[DemoTex]

25. COMP 7SL

COMP AIR 7:

PRICE
Airframe kit $39,995 - $49,995


SPECIFICATIONS
Wingspan 35 ft.
Wing area 178 sq. ft.
Length 29.5 ft.
Height 8 ft.
Seats 7

WEIGHTS AND LOADING
Gross weight 3770 lb.
Empty weight 2100 lb.
Useful load 1670 lb.
Engine 660-shp Walter M601D

PERFORMANCE
Cruise at 21,000 ft 275 mph TAS
Never-exceed speed 258 mph
Stall speed, flaps down 50 mph

http://www.aerocompinc.com/press/reviews/privatepilot/feb2001/index.htm