You Are In Section: Texts and essays

Austrian helicopter forced to land

Forced landing of an Austrian helicopter on the Czechoslovakia`s territory

On May 23, 1978 at 0922 hrs an Austrian military helicopter Augusta-Bell AB-204B ie American Bell 204B/UH-1B/ manufactured in Italy under American licence wearing 4D-BT- lifted off from Hoersching AFB heading for Allentsteig AB. Scheduled flying time of 45 mins, altitude 300 - 400 metres and speed of 140 kmph.
The helicopter was captained by G/Cpt Joseph Stangel, CO of the Austrian Air Force`s No 3 Regiment and co-piloted by F/Lt Wolfgang Zacharias. P/O Guenther Perfahl, W/Cdr Res. Ing Johan Boehm undergoing his military Res training at that time and a civilian employee of the Austrian MoD serving at AFB Hoersching were onboard too.
After 30 mins G/Cpt Stangel made his decision to approach Allentsteig from the North following the railway track leading to the town of Weitra. He intended to change the course there and proceed eastwards to Allensteig AB. The helicopter was drifted off its scheduled route by the South-East wind, finding herself in vicinity of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic`s border.
The event was being watched by the Ceske Budejovice tracking station and while the helicopter infringed the Czechoslovakia`s Air Space at 0951 hrs, the MIG-15bis jet in readiness was ordered to take off. Meanhwhile the helicopter`s crew spotted the railway track mistaking that for the one leading to Allensteig.
Because the lansdcape and the track below differed from the ones nr Allentsteig, the crew descended at 1005 hrs and reading the name of the railway station in sight they came to conclusion to be at Suchdol nad Luznici in Czechoslovakia.
The co-pilot radioed to Hoersching AFB they were by mistake in Czechoslovakia, while the approaching jet in readinnes was spotted by them. The MIG-15 bis piloted by S/Ldr Ferdinand Ivan signalled to be followed to Ceske Budejovice AFB.
But there was no reaction from the helicopter`s crew. They took evasive action instead following the railway track leading to the border town of Ceske Velenice. Nor the red flare fired out by the jet - follow me - was taken into account. Under these circumstances the pilot was ordered by the České Budejovice HQ to fire a burst of warning.
But there was no reaction to the short burst of six rounds from the helicopter either. The white flare - ie understood - was fired out by her crew instead and the helicopter proceeded hedge-hopping in the direction of the town of Nove Hrady. That reason for the jet`s pilot was ordered by his HQ to down the helicopter.
Later S/Ldr Ivan commented on this absurd situation - Of course I could not reject to follow this order, but I did not want to shoot her down. It was an intruder, an military helicopter, but unarmed. In addition, I had no idea whether she was tasked with something on our territory. I considered the helicopter got lost so I applied the last way. I made a strafing run, giving a burst into the forest, aimed ahead of the helicopter. The burst gave explosion of branch and needle debri. This time I abandoned the button a bit later, so about 60 shells from both 23 mm cannons were fired out"..
The Austrian helicopter landed at once at 1010 hrs on the meadow near the woods about 200 metres from No 89 detached house.
On May 23, 1978 at 11am my commanding officer came to my test pilot`s workplace and told me - You were appointed a member of an examining board. Take things needed with you and go to Kbely AFB`s departure lounge. As a test pilot I used to be the member of the board examining aircaft crashes.
After coming to the departure lounge I was informed by one of the present officers, that an Austrian helicopter had landed on our territory. Shortly afterwards we boarded a Mi-8 helicopter and flew into the South Bohemia Region. Sitting on the right side of the cabin I observed the landscape passing below. In the Dvory nad Luznici sector I noticed broken trunks and branches in the woods at the length of about 200 metres, leaving stumps of a light colour. An officer sitting by my side commented on that saying this had been caused by shells of the jet in readinness to make the Austrian helicopter land. I realized it was coming to crunch and not only my professional life, but also the one of my whole family could be influenced. All came true in three months.
After landing near the Austrian helicopter we got off Mi-8 and started working. As a single pilot I was tasked with identifying the helicopter, finding out her data, armament, fitment, the helicopter`s roles and whether she got lost or was engaged otherwise
The Austrian helicopter had all the needed data written on her engine including the latest inspection`s date. In Czechoslovakia`s Air Force these data were given in the technical documentation. I identified the helicopter as an Augusta Bell AB-204B of an American design, in the US military code of UH-1B, a civilian one 4D-BT, manufactured under licence in Italy as a 3192 serial number.
Single-engined with a main two-blade rotor, a tail one and undercarriage skids. The helicopter`s roles ranged from transporting troops - 10-12 man under arms, load, medevac or liaison ones as well as brought in if disasters. Under arms the helicopter`s main role was close support.
Inspecting the cabin I found out there had been a hole for screwing off an automatic radio compass` indicator in an instrument desk. That reason for the crew could fly only if fine
or below clouds and good visibility ie under normal weather conditions. During the helicopter`s flight these weather conditions were far from the normal ones. Considering this, I came to a conclusion, that the helicopter had not been not on her recce mission, but had got lost on flight. No photo or other equipment of this nature prompting to me the helicopter`s recce mission were found in her cabin.
Finishing the inspection we flew to České Budejovice AFB where several officers got out and we waited for them in the Mi-8`s cabin. After their return we ferried to Kbely AFB and gathered in the A&AEE building. We were told that the Goverment`s session headed by the president Husak is just being on, awaiting outcome of our examining board`s findings.
Each of us was given a blank sheet of paper and put all the facts on that. I wrote all the data mentioned above. I emphasised the fact that apart the compass the crew had no other navigational aids and their flight following the railway track was based on visual contact only.
The ground having been cloaked and drifted off by the wind the helicopter was diverted off the scheduled route and her crew mistook the rail track leading to the town of Weitra for the one of Ceske Velenice-Trebon.
Both the tracks lead northwards. When the crew found out they were over Suchdol nad Luznici, theiy re-gained their idea of navigation on the territory of Czechoslovakia. It means the matter of getting lost. Further I reported that no photo or other recce equipment was onboard.
After submitting our reports we waited for about two hours, till we we allowed to got on the bus at midnight and go home.
Feeling relief and satisfaction I had added my bit too I listened to the Czech Press Bureau`s piece of news on releasing crew and passengers home. The helicopter was given back later and on May 27, 1978 her stand-by-crew lifted off at 1350 hrs and left for Austria.

Boleslav Povolny