High Sierra Topix

Since I am locked out of comments of this item, I will ask the question here. Has anyone heard if the helicopter that crashed has been removed or repaired so that flew out of the site? Or will it sit there over winter?

Looks like a bit more than a hard landing, I doubt the copter will be moved anytime soon.



https://kmph.com/news/local/helicopter- ... ls-injured

https://thesheetnews.com/2023/11/03/not ... ery-crash/

This article looks legitimate. Appears that the helicopter has been removed. Kind of secretive, though. The rescue happened a month ago, so says the article.

Ha, go figure. Yes, I've seen multiple sources say the accident occurred on sept 30. Funny how that article states the helicopter was "carried out" I hope they mean by a sky crane or similar helicopter capable of lifting that weight.

Mono SAR:

On September 30 there was a SAR incident in Madera County that involved a Naval Air Station Lemoore Blackhawk helicopter that was rendered inoperable by failure to maintain adequate separation from the terrain.

The military informed Madera County that they were bringing a larger helicopter to recover the first, and Madera requested a field team from MOSAR to standby during the recovery operation in case of a mishap.

No mishap occurred, and the disabled aircraft was roughly disassembled and ferried to the Mammoth Airport in 3 trips.

The online article posted (ie the sheetnews one) stated the use of a helicopter or helicopters to carry out the pieces. No other means would have been practical or cost effective (ie on-ground methods) or environmentally sound.

Not to get too far off topic, but...

One amusing thing, which speaks to gaps in science education and particularly Earth Science education is buried in that sheetnews story which is the worry about contamination (ie spilled fuel) in the San Joaquin R. getting to LA because the river is alleged to flow there. Perhaps more broadly this speaks to most folks' inability to read an old school map. You don't have to be educated in California's watersheds and water supply, but a quick look at old school map and one can see that the San Joaquin drains to the Delta and out to the Pacific via the SF Bay. Most of that water is earmarked for various water districts, especially those that irrigate parts of the Central Valley, as well as drinking water supply for the greater Fresno area, both as direct surface water and indirectly as this water recharges local aquifers. If the chopper had crashed along the Owens, we could be talking about LA's water, but even that is indirect as we know (ie via constructed water conveyance structures), because the Owens River flows to Owens Lake and no further.

Gasoline in any stream is not good news so I sure hope that did not happen. The San Juaquin flows to the delta, where some is conveyed south to LA. But the old saying "dilution is the solution to pollution" would prevent most if not all reaching LA. And yes, ignorance of geography seems quite common.

I wonder why they did not just send in a horse so the guy with the broken ankle could ride out. Or, just bring him out on a litter to begin with. Did poor weather factor into that decision?

I'm certainly not going to argue that spilling fuel anywhere is a good thing, or that it shouldn't be prevented to the maximum extent possible. However, I don't think sensationalizing the impacts (the article, not this thread) are necessarily helpful. I agree it's laughable that author would mention LA, but what's more is the impact it would have, which is negligeable at most. First comparing the volume of fuel to the volume of water it would mix with to get to LA is orders of magnitude below detectable. Above that, the volume of fuel contamination coming from existing roadways and urban and rural land use (aka gas stations, mechanics shops, car washing, farming runoff, etc.) between the crash site and the ocean is orders of magnitude higher in terms of ecological impact than this particular incident would have.

Long winded way of saying, I hope it's been removed and any fuel spillage contained and cleaned up. But arguing the impact of such an incident will impact LA in anyway that's detectable, little lone significant is an exaggeration at the very least. Add in being wrong, and using hyperbole to get attention, I'm not sure the author did his cause a favor.

Well said fishwrong.

And what about this:

On September 30 there was a SAR incident in Madera County that involved a Naval Air Station Lemoore Blackhawk helicopter that was rendered inoperable by failure to maintain adequate separation from the terrain.

Is the part termed "failure to maintain adequate separation from the terrain" that a euphemism for " crashed into the ground?"

I'm glad that everyone survived unharmed,... or shall I say, "it is fortunate that no one experienced a sudden inadequate connection of their limbs?"

The fuel would be jet fuel, not gasoline. Persists in soil a lot longer than gasoline. However, I recall a paper several years ago about detecting fuel in a wilderness lake. The paper suggested spilled backpacker stove fuel was the source. Since modern detection methods now measure in parts per trillion or more, I am not sure how significant that was.

'Failure to maintain separation from terrain' could also mean rotor strike into a tree or cliff.