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Air Force releases MH-53 PAVE LOW accident report

  • Published
  • By Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- An accident investigation board determined the failure of the mounting nuts and studs that secured the intermediate gearbox to the tail pylon of the helicopter as the cause of last year's crash of an MH-53M Pave Low.

The MH-53, assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron, 1st Special Operations Wing, here, crashed at Landing Zone X-Ray on the Eglin Range Complex Sept. 7, 2007.

The material failure of the nuts and studs allowed the intermediate gear box to become loose. The gears became loosely meshed, perhaps unengaged, as they pushed apart, and may have begun to slip in flight. This caused an abnormal oscillation in the speed of one or both engines, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing.

None of the seven crew members were seriously injured and there was no damage to civilian property. The aircraft received approximately $8.6 million in damage.

The accident investigation board was led by Col. Scott Greene, vice commander of the 623rd Air Operations Center here. The AIB is comprised of helicopter systems experts, medial, legal and aircrew advisors.

A copy of the AIB Executive Summary is available for additional details at http://www.afsoc.af.mil/library/ under the "Hot Topics" tab. For more information, please call the Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs Office at (850) 884-5515 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.