https://defpost.com/u-s-air-fo...ashes-in-afghanistan

"A Bombardier E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft, belonging to the U.S. Air Force (USAF), has crashed in the Taliban-controlled territory south of Kabul in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, on Jan. 27.

The two pilots onboard the aircraft were reportedly killed in the incident. ..."



Just, damn.

Yeah, that sucks balls.

Reports say 2 pilots and up to 6 crew in the back.

TBD if there are fatalities. It’s an ongoing PR event in enemy territory, in the winter. I’m sure you can imagine how dynamic this is.

Yeah, it doesn't suck much harder than that. Ugh.

From the longer videos online, the crash appeared to be potentially survivable with it crash landing and coming to a stop. Obviously it's burning to the ground now after awhile.

Hopefully the guys & gals onboard are E&Eing and waiting for the cavalry to come in and light those fucking savages up right now.

Godspeed, warriors.

quote:

Bombardier E-11A

If the crash site has low visibility due to weather, can helicopters use instruments and deliver help?

Our Air Rescue is the best in the world. I believe they will get in if it is at all possible.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:

quote:

Bombardier E-11A

If the crash site has low visibility due to weather, can helicopters use instruments and deliver help?

Military Helicopter pilots are far more skilled than Kobe's pilot and flying far more advanced helicopters with terrain following radar and other advanced systems.

Low ceilings / snow will be a challenge, but I venture all theater forces will do whatever is possible to attempt recovery without excessive risk - because sometimes the decision to not launch, or not press ahead without cover - just look at Operation Red Wing / Lone Survivor for an example.

If anyone can retrieve them - it's the USAF PJ's.

quote:

Hopefully the guys & gals onboard are E&Eing and waiting for the cavalry to come in and light those fucking savages up right now.

I hope that is the case.

I will say a prayer for these guys and any rescue forces that go in.

Read some reports on Twitter that the ANA was sent in and could not reach the crash site due to the Taliban fighting them back.

Very sad for that crew. Also some unconfirmed reports that there are two survivors being held captive. DoD is being very fuzzy on the number of crew members on board so I am thinking there may be some validity to that report.

Official: Remains of 2 US troops recovered from Afghan site

quote:

A U.S. defense official says the United States has recovered the remains of two American service members killed in the crash of an Air Force plane in Afghanistan.
They were the only two people aboard the Air Force E-11A electronic surveillance aircraft when it went down on Monday in Ghazni province, the official said, speaking Tuesday on the condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement of the recovery. The identities of the two have not been publicly announced, pending notification of their relatives.
The official said the American recovery team met no Taliban resistance in reaching the crash site and said there is no indication that the plane was downed by hostile action.
The Taliban hold much of Ghazni province. Monday’s plane crash there is not expected to derail U.S.-Taliban peace talks if the crash investigation determines, as expected, that it was not the result of hostile action.

Chatter I heard was a dual engine flameout; I would suspect bad fuel or something like that if true.

With WX like that, it wouldn't have been flying low and there's no way goat fuckers could have seen it to shoot it, much less reach it with something.

Those aircraft are comm / data relay machines, so they are flying high to bridge the gaps in mountains, etc.

The "good", is swift recovery of the crew remains, and that they were not subject to capture/torture.

Godspeed to them both, and may their families and friends be comforted.

Members SEAL Team Six, secured the crash site on Tuesday in the Deh Yak district of Ghazni province, located in central Afghanistan, just south of the capital. Two bodies were recovered and brought back to an undisclosed military installation along with a flight recorder, a U.S. defense official told Newsweek.
U.S. officials in Afghanistan confirmed in a statement to Newsweek Tuesday that U.S. forces recovered what is assessed to be the aircraft flight data recorder, confirming Newsweek's previous reporting.

The SEALs destroyed what was left of the aircraft with explosives before moving out of the area, a common practice for special operation forces to prevent sensitive equipment from being captured. A follow-up airstrike may occur if commanders determine too much of the aircraft remains intact, the official said. A statement from U.S. Forces-Afghanistan said the remnants of the aircraft were destroyed.

May have been fuel contamination, of which there have been other instances.