A U.S. UH-1Y Huey helicopter flies into the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, after conducting a search-and-rescue o...
 |
| A U.S. UH-1Y Huey helicopter flies into the Tribhuvan International
Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, after conducting a search-and-rescue
operation for a missing U.S. Marine Corps helicopter on May 13, 2015. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Thor J. Larson |
The helicopter, assigned to Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469, was delivering humanitarian assistance in support of Operation Sahayogi Haat, the U.S. military earthquake relief effort.
The helicopter was reported missing with six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese service members aboard, JTF 505 officials said May 13.
Today at approximately 3:00 p.m. Japanese Standard Time a Nepalese search team identified possible wreckage of a downed aircraft approximately eight miles north of Charikot, Nepal.
Joint Task Force 505 dispatched a team of pararescuemen and a combat rescue officer to assess the wreckage. At approximately 5:05 p.m. Japanese Standard Time the team confirmed that the wreckage was that of the missing helicopter.
JTF 505 currently has a team of four pararescuemen and one combat rescue officer on the ground. Two Hueys assigned to HMLA 469 and one MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 are operating in support of the survey.
The search platforms included two UH-1Y Hueys, two MV-22 Ospreys, one Indian Mi-17 and three Nepalese helicopters.
U.S. Marine Huey and Osprey aircraft has delivered 174,706 pounds of emergency relief supplies since Operation Sahayogi Haat began.
Source: US DoD PR
