Blackwell Fire Helicopter Crash Fatality 1994

On September 23, 1994, a Boeing Vertol CH-47D (Chinook) helicopter belonging to the United States Army in the state of Washington was working diligently on firefighting activities on the Payette National Forest in the Intermountain Region near McCall, Idaho. At 1745 MDT, the Chinook was setting up for a mission to transport Forest Service fire crews. Fire suppression bucket work was to follow the transport mission. The helicopter departed the helibase with a bucket externally attached. The helicopter crew’s intention was to leave the bucket at the helispot, transport three Forest Service fire crews, then retrieve the bucket and proceed fire suppression activities. Upon arrival at the Davis Ranch helispot, the US Army pilot sat the external load (bucket) on the ground and moved the helicopter to the right of it to land. After touching down and still “light” on the wheels, the tail of the helicopter rose slightly in the air with the front landing gear still on the ground. Immediately following, the tail rapidly went over the top of the helicopter. The helicopter came to rest upside down and laying on the top right side. The back of the helicopter was located where the nose was during the attempted landing. During the mishap sequence, a front rotor blade impacted the left side of the fuselage, entered the passenger compartment, struck, and fatally injured a US Army Reserve flight engineer. 

Of the five occupants on board the Chinook, one flight engineer, John King, was fatally injured and another received serious injuries. Two pilots and a National Park Service (NPS) Helicopter Manager received minor injuries. The helicopter was totally destroyed.