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"working at max gross weight" unlikely since the other heli would've been over weight (carrying both teams) and surely suffered the same fate. I heard it was h

"working at max gross weight" unlikely since the other heli would've been over weight (carrying both teams) and surely suffered the same fate. I heard it was hot and high conditions that forced it to go down http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_and_high http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_and_high

hammock 16y ago
I did read at first that one second heli evacuated both teams after the first one crashed. But I also later read somewhere else that they dispatched a third heli after the crash?
- larrywright 16y ago
  The articles I saw indicated there were four choppers total. I'm not sure whether they were right there or just nearby, but the article gave the impression that they were there in case they had to engage the Pakistani Air Force.
  - hugh3 16y ago
    Surely if they did need to engage the Pakistani Air Force (and it's claimed that they had Pakistani permission for the raid) they'd want fighter jets, not extra helicopters?
    - showerst 16y ago
      Presumably they had those too, we don't know. It does make quite a bit of sense to have a backup in case something goes wrong, even under the high-stealth circumstances. Remember that we have no idea what was in those helos, they could've held more SEALs, or sophisticated medical equipment, or even heavy weapons (although if they were also blackhawks that's less likely.)
      - hugh3 16y ago
        Oh, certainly. I agree, the extra helicopters would have been kept at a safe distance just in case one or more of the others had a problem. They've obviously learned a lot from Operation Eagle Claw (this is required reading for understanding this raid): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw
- sp332 16y ago
  There were four total, but only two were sent at first with the other two as backup. When one of those went down, one of the backup helicopters was sent in.
  - astrodust 16y ago
    This is the importance of backups.
adamtj 16y ago
Remember that they would have burned a lot of fuel by that point, so they would no longer be a max gross weight.

hammock 16y ago

I did read at first that one second heli evacuated both teams after the first one crashed. But I also later read somewhere else that they dispatched a third heli after the crash?

larrywright 16y ago
The articles I saw indicated there were four choppers total. I'm not sure whether they were right there or just nearby, but the article gave the impression that they were there in case they had to engage the Pakistani Air Force.
- hugh3 16y ago
  Surely if they did need to engage the Pakistani Air Force (and it's claimed that they had Pakistani permission for the raid) they'd want fighter jets, not extra helicopters?
  - showerst 16y ago
    Presumably they had those too, we don't know. It does make quite a bit of sense to have a backup in case something goes wrong, even under the high-stealth circumstances. Remember that we have no idea what was in those helos, they could've held more SEALs, or sophisticated medical equipment, or even heavy weapons (although if they were also blackhawks that's less likely.)
    - hugh3 16y ago
      Oh, certainly. I agree, the extra helicopters would have been kept at a safe distance just in case one or more of the others had a problem. They've obviously learned a lot from Operation Eagle Claw (this is required reading for understanding this raid): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw
sp332 16y ago
There were four total, but only two were sent at first with the other two as backup. When one of those went down, one of the backup helicopters was sent in.
- astrodust 16y ago
  This is the importance of backups.

adamtj 16y ago

Remember that they would have burned a lot of fuel by that point, so they would no longer be a max gross weight.