What happened
During an ascent from Camp Evans Air Force Base, a Caribou collided with a US Air Force Boeing-Vertol CH-47A Chinook, registration 66-19041. The incident occurred while the Caribou was climbing through an altitude of 335 meters. At the same time, the Chinook was inbound to the airfield carrying five crew members and six passengers.
The collision was initiated when the rear rotor of the Chinook struck the cockpit area of the Caribou. The impact caused both aircraft to descend rapidly, crashing into the ground a few hundred yards from the runway's end. The accident resulted in 26 fatalities, representing the total number of occupants on both aircraft. At the time of the impact, the Caribou was traveling at approximately 190 km/h, while the Chinook was maintaining a speed of 185 km/h.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several operational errors committed by the crew of the Chinook. The investigation concluded that the collision was driven by multiple violations of established flight procedures during their attempt to land at a helipad located 300 meters left of the primary runway. Specific findings included:
- The Chinook crew did not establish communication with ground control at Camp Evans AFB before arriving.
- The aircraft was operating without authorization to approach the base at that specific time.
- The crew exceeded the established altitude ceiling for helicopters in the area, which was set at 180 meters; the aircraft was actually at 335 meters.
- The flight path used by the Chinook did not follow the assigned approach corridor for helicopter operations.