"Crash of `Angel 6"'
On June 16, 1975, rescuers from Yosemite National Park were called to a climber who had fallen
150 feet on El Capitan. Ranger Dan Sholly was the first to the subject, Peter Barton, who had
sustained fatal injuries. In lieu of a very difficult evacuation over treacherous cliffs, Sholly called
for a UH-1 Huey helicopter from the San Joaquin Valley's Lemoore Naval Air Station.
On board the helicopter were a crew of six; Pilot Lt. Tom Stout, Co-pilot John Sullivan, Ranger
Paul Henry, and three other crewmembers. Shortly after hoisting the dead climber into the
helicopter, one of the two engines quit. The chopper rolled to the right side in a spiral descent that
included two 360-degree turns. It crashed into the trees, approximately 500-600 feet below the
original rescue. Although the deceased subject and the helicopter were burned, nobody on board
was seriously hurt.
"The engine ran for two more hours"
On January 2, 1978, a twin-engine commuter plane disappeared in the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. The next day, three Army Huey helicopters were searching for the crash site when
one of the helicopters crashed. Witnesses reported a loud noise as the pilot was trying to land
with an Army medic and rangers from the park. After yelling "May Day" into the radio four times,
the pilot tried to land the helicopter.
The helicopter came to a standstill upside down, nose down, with the jet engine still
running.
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The 1,100-horse power engine continued to run for two more hours.
Four rescuers were killed in the crash, including Army Captain John Dunnavant, Army Captain
Terrance Woolever, Army Sargeant Floyd Smith, and Civil Air Patrol Lt. Col. Ray Maynard. Four
rescuers survived, including Ranger Bill Acree (compound broken leg, broken collar bone,
shoulder, back), Ranger Dave Harbin (fractured rib, contused lung, dislocated shoulder, broken
elbow), Air Force Sgt. Phillip Thurlow (5 broken ribs, fractured clavicle, ruptured biceps), and
Army paramedic Chris Wyman (grossly fractured femur, facial lacerations)
Another rescuer was injured during the subsequent rescue of the crash victims. Army paramedic
Collier, who arrived at the scene by jungle penetrator, was injured by tree limbs and by being
dropped several feet.
"Downdrafts, updrafts, and local whirlwind"
On Saturday April 5, 1980, Jay Bienen (27) and Ted Botner headed out on a late winter hike in the
mountains of northern Colorado. Bienen planned to bivouac that evening while Botner returned to
the cars. The plan was for Bienen to meet friends at the trailhead Sunday morning.
On Monday, Botner contacted SAR authorities because Bienen was already one day overdue, and
he had not been at classes at the local college. After searching Monday afternoon, Larimer
County SAR (MRA) called on additional resources, including Alpine Rescue Team (MRA).
As Alpine members arrived Tuesday morning, a local television helicopter, "SKY-9" arrived at
mission base unannounced from Denver. An Alpine Rescue Team veteran, Hunter Holloway,
