Coast Guard Details Findings of Fatal Chopper Crash

BARBERS POINT, Hawaii --

The Coast Guard on Friday released its findings of the investigation into the crash of a rescue helicopter that killed four crewmembers in September last year.

It was a routine training mission practicing with a rescue basket the night of Sept. 4, 2008.

In its investigation, the Coast Guard said a series of unpredictable events led to the fatal crash of Coast Guard 6505. The Dolphin helicopter was out doing routine training with a boat at about 6 miles south of Honolulu International Airport.

It started when slack in the cable hoisting the rescue basket wrapped around a pipe at the stern of the motor lifeboat, investigators said.

"Physically pulled the helicopter down the right and then the cable parted or snapped," Rear Adm. Manson Brown said.

The recoil is what investigators said caused the fatal blow.

"The blades are obviously moving mostly in a horizontal manner and you get a whipsaw effect this hoist assembly potentially connects with the blade," Capt. Jack Vogt said. "The rotor blades hit impacted this hoist housing mechanism, and that's what caused damage to the blade."

The helicopter continued to fly for another 3:15 before falling into the ocean.

The victims were: Cmdr. Thomas Nelson, Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Wischmeier, rescue swimmer David Skimin and flight mechanic Joshua Nichols.

The Wischmeier's widow said the final report provided some closure.

"If this can be used to help future accidents be prevented then of course that's what we want and it does bring some sort of closure to a little over a year that's been extremely difficult," Susan Buck-Wischmeier said.

Guardsmen knowingly put their lives at risk each rescue, but the Coast Guard said it made a few modifications to their training equipment and some minor changes to their training procedures and a vowed to learn the lessons of Coast Guard 6505.

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