New Details From Choppers' Dip in Lake Tahoe NBC Bay Area

It's a 20-second, jaw-dropping clip of cell phone video that could ultimately cost two Navy helicopter pilots their flying privileges. It happened two weeks ago at Lake Tahoe and caught sightseers by surprise as they looked over the lake.

"Oh my gosh," a gasping voice is heard saying on the video. Another person said, "they're totally practicing aren't they?"

An official at NAS North Island in San Diego confirmed the authenticity of the video that shows two $33 million MH-60 Romeo helicopters flying over Lake Tahoe on Sept. 13. One of the helicopters appears to come dangerously close to the water before the pilot is able to regain altitude.

US Navy officials from the Pentagon told NBC News this was not a training mission, but that the two helicopter crews were allegedly attempting to take photos of each other's helicopters hovering just above the waters of Lake Tahoe with the mountains as a majestic backdrop when their photo op went horribly wrong.

Navy officials say the pilots had attempted to go into a routine "hover" but because of the altitude of Lake Tahoe and the weight of the aircraft, the chopper descended and partially submerged before both pilots increased power, pulled the choppers out of the water and averted a disaster.

The helicopters are from North Island's Helicopter Maritime Strike 41 squadron.

"An aviation mishap board has been convened," according to a North Island spokesman.

The spokesperson says the helicopters sustained 'minor damage' and the incident has been classified as a 'Class C' mishap, meaning damage is more than $50,000 but less than $500,000.

The helicopters had taken part in an air show in Sacramento and were heading toward Lemoor Naval Air Station to refuel, according to the spokesperson.

After the incident, the helicopters were taken to the Lake Tahoe Airport for repair. The pilots were flown back to San Diego on a commercial flight. They have both been temporarily grounded pending an investigation.

Lake Tahoe is not a normal training area for the helicopters. The investigation will determine whether the flight over the lake was consistent with the normal flight pattern and flight plan provided by the pilots.

The names of the pilots have not been released. The spokesperson would also not say how long the pilots have been with the Navy.

It's not known how many people were on board the helicopters at the time of the incident. Normally, there are two pilots and one air crewman on board.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• New
• Details
• From
• Choppers'
• Dip
• in
• Lake
• Tahoe
• NBC
• Bay
• Area
• ufo
• alien
• grey
• demon
• catholic
• vatican
• evil
• soace
• brothers

[iinRez]

Hmm Anybody with eyes and substantially more grey matter than some of these arrogant commenter(s) - can tell that this was an intentional maneuver. Perhaps he was practicing a strategy for a situation of an abrupt loss of altitude over and into water. To refer to any one as "Fucktards" is purely asinine, and U really think we'll be using Black Hawks in 30 years? Frankly this is extraordinary piloting. Submerging a helicopter up to the rudders in water and ascending out safely? That's spectacular

[Oregoner1]

@flyleaf2424

Maybe it is not that they/we hate the military, but more like they/we hate that the military had become a corporate/political tool that is being used for wealth extraction by the 1%.

[JRodriguez5364]

@IAMOldNick That if you believe this was a waste of taxpayers dollars, we, just like you, are paying taxes too. And a miscalculation due to the altitude of Lake Tahoe is not a waste of taxpayers dollars. I don't hear you complaining every night as you go to bed about the wasted taxpayers dollars that we use every day defending your freedom while barely making ends meat. And that if you have a problem with the military, how we operate or where your money is going, get off your ass and enlist.

[IAMOldNick]

@JRodriguez5364 your point being? 

[motokid032]

All I can say is that they're lucky one of the blades didn't decide to hit the water..They would have been hitching a ride back in a medevac helicopter instead.

[soulassssns]

Military servicemembers pay state/federal taxes like every body else.

[JRodriguez5364]

@seeingUFOsPA You do realize that people in the military pay taxes too, right?