Navy pilots lose flying status for dip in Lake Tahoe
By Jeanette Steele, San Diego Union-Tribune
Two Navy instructor pilots have been stripped of flying status and two student pilots will have to repeat training because of a September incident in which they dipped two $33 million aircraft into Lake Tahoe while trying to take photos for the squadron’s Facebook page, a Navy official said Wednesday.
The Sept. 13 incident became public because a bystander caught the event on video and posted it on YouTube.
The video shows the two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters trying to hover low over the lake. In the video, one apparently loses control for a few seconds, dips its landing gear in the water, then pulls up. Both aircraft actually went into the water, though the footage only captured one, Navy officials have said.
Both helicopters were damaged and had to be flown to a Lake Tahoe airport for repairs, which cost $505,000.
WHAT A STUPID THING TO DO,THE RESULTS ARE LIFE CHANGING.505.000 SURE BUYS ALOT LIFE PRESEVERS ……..ARE THESE THE SAME GUYS WHO WE LET USE WEAPONS IN FOREGIN CONTRIES?
FACEBOOK HAS LITERARY SCREWED UP MANY PEOPLE LIFES…..THE DIVOCE COURTS,LAYWERS, ARE MAKING A FORTUNE.
Incredibly stupid mistake!!!
When you consider all of the things that could have happened, because of their actions, they were lucky. We, as tax payers, picked up that tab for repairs. Not exactly how I wanted that money to be spent. It would be interesting to know the total cost of the entire incident….we paid for that too!