Military helicopter shot at over northern Virginia, crew member injured

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Luis Martinez - ABC News




The FBI is investigating the shooting of a U.S. Air Force helicopter as it flew over northern Virginia on Monday.

One crew member had a minor injury, according to the FBI and the Air Force. The UH-1N Huey helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing at a nearby airport and a bullet was discovered in the airframe.

On Monday afternoon, the helicopter from the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews was flying a routine training mission over Middleburg, Virginia, at an altitude of 1,000 feet when it took fire from the ground, said an Air Force spokesperson. McClatchy was the first to report the shooting incident.

Already training for an instrument approach to Manassas Regional Airport, the helicopter quickly diverted to the airport to make an emergency landing.

"The Airport received a call from Manassas Control Tower at 12:20 pm on Monday about a military helicopter inbound that had an on-board emergency and that paramedics would be arriving shortly," said Pattie Prince, the communications manager for the city of Manassas.

The helicopter landed safely at 12:43 p.m. and "initial findings are that the helicopter was struck by a bullet resulting in a minor injury to an aircrew member and damage to the aircraft," said the Air Force spokesperson.

"The crew member "sustained a non-threatening injury, for which he was treated and subsequently released from the hospital," said a spokesperson for the FBI's Washington Field Office.

"The FBI Washington Field Office (WFO) dispatched special agents and its Evidence Response Team to the Manassas Airport after receiving reports that a helicopter was shot at from the ground nearby," said the FBI spokesperson.

"WFO is working jointly with our law enforcement partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident," said the spokesperson.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

wow

[FBD]

good they recovered the bullet, watch the dumbass that did this did it from his own property and will be promptly fucked once they figure out trajectory

[Hugh_Janus]

implying the weapon is registered

[FBD]

can at least tell caliber from it

[Hugh_Janus]

whoever did it will never be found... unless they are retarded

[PorkChopSandwiches]

If they shot from their backyard, it wont be hard to track down

[Hugh_Janus]

if they shot from their bckyard, then they are retarded

[DemonGeminiX]

[KevinD]

1000' agl or sea? Big difference in VA. I'm guessing AGL. I'm also going to guess accidental shooting. I'm not sure if I could hit a moving chopper at 1000'

[Teh One Who Knocks]

1000' agl or sea? Big difference in VA. I'm guessing AGL. I'm also going to guess accidental shooting. I'm not sure if I could hit a moving chopper at 1000'

How do you "accidentally" shoot a helicopter? What are you shooting at in the air with a rifle?

[lost in melb.]

How do you "accidentally" shoot a helicopter? What are you shooting at in the air with a rifle?

Vultures. Very dangerous

[FBD]

1000' agl or sea? Big difference in VA. I'm guessing AGL. I'm also going to guess accidental shooting. I'm not sure if I could hit a moving chopper at 1000'

no mention of how many shots they took, only that one hit I'm sure if we gave you enough chances...

[KevinD]

How do you "accidentally" shoot a helicopter? What are you shooting at in the air with a rifle?

no mention of how many shots they took, only that one hit I'm sure if we gave you enough chances...

We're all assuming a rifle ( imho a valid assumption). I've seen countless examples of idiot randomly firing up in the air at nothing. I also wouldn't rule out a ricochet. I've seen those (in person) go hundreds of yards in all directions.
I'm kinda playing the devils advocate here. All we know is that a helicopter was hit by at least 1 bullet. Any number of ways that could have happened.

As for my self, I highly doubt I could shoot a helicopter like flying over 100mph at 1000' with one shot, handgun or rifle. I'm positive I could have done it when I was active duty, at least with my issue rifle.