Accident and Response
On 7 April 2012, a Boeing Chinook helicopter (ZA671) was involved in an accident at an undisclosed location near Yuma, Arizona. The aircraft sustained catastrophic damage, including damage to forward and aft structures, and was declared Category 4, meaning it was repairable at a Depth facility. The cost of the airframe and equipment was estimated at £6–7 million.
Emergency services arrived at the crash site at 1449 hours, including a fire engine, police, and an ambulance from Yuma Proving Ground. The ambulance crew checked the vitals of the crew and passengers, who subsequently signed medical care waiver forms and declined evacuation to hospital. All crew and passengers were later medically inspected at El Centro Hospital as soon as they returned to base, receiving thorough care including CT scanning. No injuries were reported.
The crew and passengers egressed the aircraft using nominated emergency exits without further incident. They relied on SAT phones to communicate with El Centro and emergency services; no emergency beacons were activated. Post-accident testing of personal survival equipment by the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine found all equipment serviceable except two SARBE 7 beacons, which were not initiated at the time of the accident and were found unserviceable during bench testing. These were sent to the manufacturer for further investigation.
Damage and Recovery
The area around the crash site was exposed to hydraulic oil and shards of composite fibre structure, mainly from damaged blades. Cleanup was conducted in liaison with the US Department of the Interior and the US Department of Defence as part of an ongoing conservation project. No costs were reclaimed by the US Environmental Agency. The total loss value for damage to the aircraft, equipment, and property was estimated at £6–7 million.
Civilian bystanders arrived at the scene in a dune buggy and offered food and water, taking photographs of the crash site. Military recovery assets, including a Lynx helicopter from 669 Squadron AAC, were deployed to assist with passenger recovery and aerial photography. A safe area and cordon were established 100 meters from the aircraft.
Service Inquiry Findings
The Service Inquiry Panel concluded that the crew were on duty, the weather was suitable for the task, the aircraft was serviceable, the crew had correctly planned the sortie, and they were medically fit. Egress from the aircraft was successful and did not result in further injuries, although go-bags were initially left in the aircraft.