US Helicopter Crashes in Aceh as Sailor Dies in US Submarine Accident

10/01/2005| IslamWeb

A US helicopter with 10 people on board has crashed in a rice paddy as it was trying to land at the Banda Aceh airport while on a tsunami relief operation, injuring at least two US servicemen. The injured men, along with eight other navy personnel, were being flown back to their ship in the Lincoln battle group on Monday, said Captain Joe Plenzler, a US military spokesman in Medan, 400km southeast of Banda Aceh. The US military suspended helicopter flights for about two hours after the crash. "Typically what happens whenever there is an event with an aircraft, they will suspend flight operations and start an investigation," Plenzler said. "It gives them time to pause and take a look at the safety situation. But they have since resumed flying." **No foul play*** The SH60 helicopter crashed in a rice paddy about 500m from the airport in Banda Aceh, the main city on Indonesia's tsunami-battered Sumatra island, as it was trying to land, he said. "There was no fire ball but a little smoke. It landed on its side," Plenzler said, adding that the helicopter's propeller was twisted from the impact of the crash. US authorities said there was no indication the helicopter had been shot down. "We can rule out ground fire, but until there is investigation the determination of the cause of the accident can't be made," Plenzler said. **Airport still functioning*** There was a shooting incident close to a United Nations compound in Banda Aceh on Sunday that local police blamed on separatist fighters who operate in the area. Nobody was injured and aid officials said they did not believe relief workers were targeted. The authorities quickly cordoned off the area near the helicopter crash on Monday and US officials began searching the field around the crash site, apparently for debris. The airport at Banda Aceh "is still functioning and the crash shouldn't effect relief operations", said Plenzler. The helicopter was flying in personnel to the airport from the USS Abraham Lincoln group off the coast of Sumatra, he said. **Sailor dies in US submarine accident*** A US sailor has died of injuries sustained after a nuclear submarine ran aground in the Pacific Ocean, officials said as the vessel limped back to port in Guam. Twenty-three other crew members on the USS San Francisco were being treated "for a range of injuries including broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a back injury", following the accident on Friday, Petty Officer Alyssa Batarla said. The accident occurred as the vessel was conducting underwater operations 560km south of its base in Guam, the navy said. The submarine was due to arrive back in port on Monday. An investigation into the accident has already started, officials said. The navy said the submarine's nuclear plant had not been damaged and its hull was still intact.The submarine was heading back to base under its own steam, but on the surface. **Grounding*** The grounding occurred as the Los Angeles class submarine with its crew of 137 was heading for a port visit in Brisbane, Australia. "There were no reports of damage to the reactor plant, which is operating normally," the navy said in a statement on Saturday. Los Angeles class submarines are 110 metres long and have one nuclear reactor and one shaft. The USS San Francisco is one of three submarines of its class to be based in Guam, where it has been there since 2002. It can carry out intelligence gathering and take special forces on missions. Its strike arms usually include Tomahawk missiles. **PHOTO CAPTION*** A U.S. Navy servicemen gather next to the wreckage of a US Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter after it crashed in a rice paddy less then a kilometer away from Banda Aceh's airport early Monday morning Jan 10, 2005. (AP)