Eurasia Press & News
BAGHDAD — A U S Marine transport helicopter crashed in flames yesterday in a field northwest of Baghdad, killing all seven people aboard, the U S military said. It was the fifth U S aircraft lost in less than three weeks and the latest sign of growing problems with aviation in Iraq.
A U S military statement gave no reason for the crash of the CH-46 Sea Knight, which went down near Fallujah in Anbar Province, about 20 miles from Baghdad. However, at the Pentagon, three Marine Corps officials said the troop-transport helicopter was in flames when it went down, with the pilot appearing to attempt a hasty landing but losing control as the aircraft descended.
They said witnesses in nearby Marine aircraft saw the flames but saw no sign that it involved hostile fire.
An Iraqi Air Force officer, however, said the helicopter was downed by an anti-aircraft missile. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information.
An Iraqi farmer who lives about a half mile from the crash site said he heard a missile fired moments before the crash, which took place in an insurgent-infested region.
“The helicopter was flying and passed over us, then we heard the firing of a missile,” the farmer, Mohammed al-Janabi, said. “The helicopter then turned into a ball of fire. It flew in a circle twice and then went down.”
Associated Press Television video showed the flaming wreckage lying in a field in front of a cluster of mud homes. A dense plume of black smoke rose over the remains. The Marine officials suspected the fire was caused by a mechanical problem, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.
Names of the victims were not released, but military officials said they included five Marines and two from the Navy.
In a statement posted on an extremist website , an Al Qaeda -linked group, the Islamic State in Iraq, said it shot down the helicopter, which it described as a Chinook — an Army helicopter that resembles a Sea Knight.
Critics have urged the military to replace the CH-46 . In 2001, retired Colonel Frank Jensen wrote in Defense News that the Marines should replace the CH-46 but cannot because of budget limitations.
Regardless of the cause, the latest crash adds urgency to a U S military review of flight operations in Iraq, including whether insurgents have improved skills in attacking U S aircraft .
The latest crash occurred five days after a U S Army Apache helicopter went down north of Baghdad. Three other helicopters — two from the Army and one operated by an American security firm — also have crashed since Jan. 20. A total of 27 people were killed in the five crashes.
