Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Chopper flown improperly before fatal crash, hearing told

JUNEAU, Alaska -- The Coast Guard helicopter that crashed off the Washington coast last year, killing three, was not flying at levels appropriate for its mission, the lead investigator testified Wednesday.

Capt. Timothy Heitsch also said the helicopter was flown at speeds above the maximum for a normal, nonemergency operation. Heitsch was one of the first witnesses called in the Article 32 hearing for Lt. Lance Leone, who is charged with negligent homicide and other violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in connection with the 2010 accident. The hearing could help determine whether the charges are dropped or whether he will face court martial.

Leone, 31, who has earned a long list of Coast Guard awards and accolades, was the co-pilot of the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter flying from Astoria, Ore., to the crew's base in Sitka. The helicopter crashed off LaPush, Wash., in July 2010.

Heitsch testified that co-pilot duties included monitoring instruments and safety. But he noted that anyone in the aircraft can point out something that is abnormal or wrong.

The charges have stunned Leone's family and friends, as well as Sandra Banks, the mother of one of the victims, who has said that she considers the crash an accident, a circumstance of improperly marked lines.

Witnesses reported that the helicopter was flying low and hit power cables strung 1,900 feet from LaPush to James Island. Leone was pulled from the water by good Samaritans.

Leone's father said his son had recovered from his injuries and was cleared for flight retraining before learning that he was being charged. The charges came more than a year after the crash.

Jennifer Boyer, a civilian helicopter pilot from Seattle, testified she was at Long Beach the morning of the crash with her husband and saw a Coast Guard helicopter fly low and fast overhead.

She estimated the helicopter was flying at least 100 knots, or about 115 mph, and she had never seen one fly that fast or that close to shore before.

Her immediate thought was there must have been a "horrible accident." Her husband later heard about a crash, and she said he believed it was the same helicopter.

Boyer called the Coast Guard station in Astoria and was told that the helicopter that crashed was from Sitka.

On cross-examination, Boyer acknowledged she later wrote an email to a Coast Guard official in which she acknowledged she wasn't good at estimating flight speeds.

Later testimony included the cockpit voice recorder, but the public was not allowed to hearing the recording.

One of the prosecutors, Cmdr. Matthew Fay, said the hearing could last through Friday.

Members of Leone's family, including his pregnant wife, were at the hearing, as were friends, supporters and Coast Guard members.

Leone faces charges of negligent homicide, dereliction of duty and destruction of government property. The charge sheet states Leone failed to properly navigate the helicopter to avoid charted hazards and that he negligently failed to ensure it was flying at a higher altitude.

It also alleges that he did "without proper authority, through neglect, destroy by causing the crash of CG-6017," an aircraft valued at $18.3 million.

The negligent homicide charges are related to the deaths of Brett Banks, 33, of Rock Springs, Wyo., and Adam C. Hoke, 40, of Great Falls, Mont. There is no charge related to the third victim, the pilot, Lt. Sean Krueger, 33, of Seymour, Conn.

Capt. Andrew Norris, a Coast Guard judge advocate stationed in Rhode Island, is the investigating officer during the Article 32 hearing. He will make eventual recommendations to the Guard's commanding officer in Alaska, Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo, for the next course of action. Norris said Wednesday Ostebo is not bound by any recommendations he makes. Possibilities include dismissal of the charges, administrative action or court-martial. Leone faces a possible maximum penalty that includes 7 1/2 years in prison if convicted on all courts at a court-martial.

http://www.adn.com

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