RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa officials released the results of the investigation into the January 7 crash of an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter near Cley next the Sea, United Kingdom, resulting in the death of the four crew members on board.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Brig. Gen. Jon Norman, the board president, found clear and convincing evidence that multiple bird strikes caused the accident by rendering the pilot and co-pilot unconscious and disabling the trim and flight path stabilization system.
The crew and the aircraft were assigned to the 56th Rescue Squadron, operating out of Royal Air Force Lakenheath, U.K.
The convening authority, Lt. Gen. Tom Jones, USAFE-AFAFRICA vice commander, approved the board president's report without comments.
The primary purpose of the board was to provide a publicly releasable report of the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident. An executive summary and full narrative of the report is available at http://www.usafe.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=21622.
