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Sheriff's copter shot down - Albuquerque

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Any word on what caused the crash? It sounds like the pilot wasn't shot, but injured in the crash.

Did the bullet hit hydraulics? Or did the pilot panic and lose control? Bullet holes appearing all around you will make your sphincter tighten up. Or loosen up. Or both.

A woman saw bullets going up? A little time to think and I'm sure she'll have seen that they were .50 cal. I hope the holes in the copter's skin aren't half an inch diameter.

Regards.
 
I think a police helicopter flying at 400 feet AGL is kind of asking to get shot at. No offence, but there are many people down there who don't like the police and flying a helo that low is just asking for trouble. Don't they fly at least 1000+ ft AGL most of the time?
 
"Don't they fly at least 1000+ ft AGL"

I don't know what they "should" be flying at. But most of the time here in the southern Kali I figure that i've got a better than 50 / 50 chance of hitting the ghetto bird with a rock. (if standing on the roof of my house & having a good arm day)
 
I heard of Russian choppers getting dropped by guys lobbing small boulders off mountains that were higher than what the helicopters could fly at.
 
From the KOB TV report:
The helicopter was about 400 feet in the air supporting deputies on the ground who were responding to a report about a robbery when it plunged into a Westside backyard.
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While not wishing to tenderize the feelings of any members from the area, the Westside of Albuquerque has some areas of older, cheaper houses. These areas along with an area in the Southeast part of town called the 'War Zone' are responsible for at least 80% of the crime in the city/county.

The areas are populated by poorer working class and welfare assisted families and a large percentage of 'undocumented aliens' - some of the people are nice, some ain't. Typical New Mexico.

Let us just comment that the pilot "chose poorly" by flying that low in that area. :what: :what: :what:

For those of you that might be upset at my 'dissing' the area, I lived in New Mexico for most of the time from 1960 to 2000.
 
While I live in the ritzy as-close-to-the-mountain-as-you-can-get area, I would note that the area of NW ABQ where the copter was shot down is not considered a bad area of town at all.
 
The pilot is, however, a big concern. Most crashes and infractions are pilot error, and a dead or incapacitated pilot is a much bigger concern than a bad pilot. If, and this is a BIG if, these "bring down a jetliner" idiots were actually concerned with planes falling out of the sky and not just wanting to disarm the peasants, they would be pushing for the simpler fix of armoring the cockpit against projectile threats. Armored glass and body panels are easy to come by, and there's a whole air force full of people who know how to do it. I'm not bidding on the contract, but compare the two options and you'll see which one is simpler, cheaper, easier, and just plain smart.
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+1

With a helo, IIRC all one really has to do is divert the pilot's attention - either by being too busy being dead to care or something less - unlike fixed wing aircraft, its a bit more important to be attentive to controls on a helicopter, as they aren't going to glide.
 
Great, in addition to possible gun bans we have some icing on the personal freedom limitation cake.

The latest Grand Theft Auto game allows you to shoot police choppers out of the air, (As have the last two to a limited degree.) The Dems love to get all whipped up about violent video games causing problems, and here is the "proof."

I expect Hillary to be whining about evil entertainment once more.
 
Had not heard it was shot down, just that it crashed.

Considering the helicopter in question a crash due to mechanical failure would not be suprising.

Wonder what they were doing that low?
 
Dead Zone

I had a friend who got his helo rating a while ago. He explained that you never want to be hovering above 5 feet or below 500 feet.

Below 5 feet and the engine quits you don't fall far enough to die.

Above 500 feet and the engine quits you have time to autorotate.

In between you fall like a rock.

That is why many police copters "orbit" when they are flying low. It is much safer as the forward momentem can be translated into autorotation and save your backside if the engine quits.

If this helo was orbiting it was a very lucky shot.

If it was hovering the pilot was choosing poorly.

dzimmerm
 
Wasn't a 50

Methinks it wasn't a 50 cal that caused this.

A 50 wouldn't have fragmented on a rudder pedal.

To me, it sounds much more like what might happen with a .223
 
Saturday’s crash of a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department helicopter marks only the second known case of a helicopter in the United States brought down by gunfire.
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Considering all the years that guns and helicopters have coexisted in this country, and considering that the helicopters are often used to pursue criminals i thought this was rather interesting. Could it be that the idea of civilian gun owners dropping aircraft out of the sky is complete bunk?
 
Considering all the years that guns and helicopters have coexisted in this country, and considering that the helicopters are often used to pursue criminals i thought this was rather interesting. Could it be that the idea of civilian gun owners dropping aircraft out of the sky is complete bunk?
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Yes...and no. The best rifle shots among us could probably drop them right and left with the right rifle. It wouldn't be a .50 BMG. The Brady Bunch are idiots as usual.


The biggest reason why more helicopters are not crashing from gunfire is that very few criminals are true marksmen.
 
“Let me be very clear,” he continued. “We intend to use every resource available to track down the coward who is responsible for this sick and twisted act.”
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Coward - one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

Interesting word choice, Sheriff. I'm not sure that the word coward applies here at all really.
 
HOLY CRAP!! How did I not hear about this?!?!?

I guess I need to take a break and turn on the TV occasionally.


Back when I used to live in the seedy area around UNM the ghetto-bird was out almost every night. For some reason they were mostly spotlighting parties in the midst of being broken up (great alocation of taxpayer resources, eh?). They were frequently in a stationary hover, not orbiting.

I wonder if it was related to the robbery or just some random psycho who had enough noise pollution for the evening.

Also, how could the witness see "bullets going up?" Tracers? Who has a mag full of tracers just laying around in case they need to shoot at a chopper? Very odd.
 
Noise pollution.....

is an apt contribution......the cops get so "involved" in the pursuit of "badness" they fail to realize not everyone is thrilled by their vigor. Around my way, almost EVERY Saturday night, they're out chasin' the ja'bonies, & they invariably have to either HOVER over a neighbor's back field, or set-up the same orbit over "the ville" @ 0230HRS when i'm asleep. there are MANY a mornin' when others, as well as I, have felt that Captain Courageous needed his tail trimmed a bit....... & most of the time, these yayhoos don't capture anything except mosquitos & ticks......:uhoh:
 
Nick, wait until new years... :evil:

Some years back there was a drug dealer hiding out in the no-tell motel across the street from the gun shop I worked at.

He had an M-249. :uhoh:
 
Erich
While I live in the ritzy as-close-to-the-mountain-as-you-can-get area, I would note that the area of NW ABQ where the copter was shot down is not considered a bad area of town at all.
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It is now!

The original story said "Westside" without any real details - -

The helicopter was about 400 feet in the air supporting deputies on the ground who were responding to a report about a robbery when it plunged into a Westside backyard.
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Do you live in Four Hills or North Nosebleed Heights? (East of Tramway) :confused:
 
"Coward - one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity

Interesting word choice, Sheriff. I'm not sure that the word coward applies here at all really."

Boy you best stary towing that line, I say boy.
 
If a bullet fraggedin a rubber pedal, it's probably a small caliber pistol.

What I think? I think a couple lucky shots pinged the controls or electronics. I do believe you're in a spot of trouble if a control cable is severed in a whirlybird...
 
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