By JOCELYN GECKER, Associated Press Writer

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - A U.S. Seahawk
helicopter on a relief
operation crashed in a rice paddy near
Banda Aceh's airport, injuring all
10 aboard and causing the military to
briefly suspend flights on Monday.
A new tsunami videotape showed roiling
brown water engulfing everything
in its path on a busy Indonesian
street.

Capt. Kendall L.
Card, the commander of
the USS Abraham
Lincoln aircraft carrier,
which is stationed
off the coast of Sumatra
island, said over
the ship's loudspeakers
that six of the
servicemen aboard the aircraft
had been hurt
seriously and four had minor
injuries. The
worst injury was a dislocated
pelvis, he said.

Lt. Cmdr. John M.
Daniels blamed the
crash, which
happened just after 7:30 a.m.
local time, on a
"possible mechanical
failure" and said
it was being investigated.
Fifteen Seahawk
helicopters from the
Lincoln group have
been flying up to nine
hours a day on aid
missions. Normally they
fly a maximum of
three to four hours a day.

The SH60
helicopter crashed in a rice paddy
about 500 yards
from the airport in Banda
Aceh, the main
city on Indonesia's
tsunami-battered
Sumatra island, as it was
trying to land, he
said.

"There was no fire
ball but a little smoke. It
landed on its
side," said Capt. Joe Plenzler,
adding that the
helicopter's propeller was
twisted from the
impact.

U.S. authorities
said there was no indication
the helicopter had
been shot down. The
military said the
helicopter experienced an
"in-flight
emergency" and then "executed a
hard landing."
Photos from the scene
showed the Seahawk
lying on its side in the
paddy, it's main
rotor crumpled.

Photo he

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