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Date of incident: 14 November 1981 Crash related deaths: CAPT Frank W. Olson (CG Aviator #911) Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to: Air Station North Bend, OR Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number: Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard, 1353 Location of the incident: Coos Bay, OR Description of the incident: CAPT Olson and crew were on a night search and rescue case searching for a fishing vessel in distress. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and they were attempting to return to base when they experienced an engine malfunction. They executed an autorotation to the water but the aircraft capsized. CAPT Olson died while attempting to escape. | |
Fatal Coast Guard Aircraft Accidents
Fatal Coast Guard Aircraft Accidents - A history of USCG aviation accidents that took the lives of those serving others.www.check-six.com
Olson, Frank, CAPT | TWS
Detailed service history for Olson, Frank, CAPT, U.S.C.G.coastguard.togetherweserved.com
Date of incident: 14 November 1981
Crash related deaths:
CAPT Frank W. Olson (CG Aviator #911)
Air Station the aircraft and/or crew were assigned to:
Air Station North Bend, OR
Aircraft type and Coast Guard tail number:
Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard, 1353
Location of the incident: Coos Bay, OR
Description of the incident:
CAPT Olson and crew were on a night search and rescue case searching for a fishing vessel in distress. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and they were attempting to return to base when they experienced an engine malfunction. They executed an autorotation to the water but the aircraft capsized. CAPT Olson died while attempting to escape.
Tho they say above that the crew drowned, Scott's wife told me that Scott deployed at least one personal liferaft and was found days later rafted up on a beach, but dead from hypothermia. Maybe she misunderstood and it was his water wings fron his safety vest. Could have been some of the others also got hypothermia in the frigid water and subsequently drowned, which would be typical even with personal flotation wings deployed in those typically frigid heavy seas.
I can say from experience that it doesn't take long to succumb to hypothermia - especially if you are wet. Been in the water several times myself in the USCG (once at MLB school we had to break ice to get into the water), and also been in the snow while skiing and gotten very cold. Been on a motorcycle drenched to the bone in storms.