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This reel of silent footage shows several different aviation accidents. At :10, military officers are seen gathered in a field watching helicopters on maneuver. At 1:02, a small cargo aircraft -- possibly a de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou -- comes in for a landing but ends up crashing into the ground. Starting about 2:00, an emergency landing is shown by what appears to be a U.S. Army Beechcraft T-42A Cochise, tail number 78053. The aircraft's front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. Ground crews put down fire retardant foam and the aircraft was guided in for a textbook landing. Starting at 5:00 a more tragic accident is shown, as a U.S. Coast Guard Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw rescue helicopter arrives to pick up an injured crewman. We don't know for certain but based on research by a viewer on Youtube, we believe this footage dates from 25 April 1961 and was shot aboard the seaplane tender USS Pine Island, operating off the coast of San Diego. Pilot Lt. James H. Levey (CG Aviator #671) was performing a medical evacuation of SD2 James Taylor from the Pine Island. According to the accident report, the helicopter lifted off in a normal manner and was shearing to port to clear ship but also moved forward causing main rotor to contract the roller curtain cover aft port corner of the ship's hangar. The rotor blade disintegrated and the helicopter fell on port edge of the seaplane deck and port aviation gas filter station. The helicopter caught fire and rolled into the sea, killing both the pilot and the patient. Rest in peace to them both.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com