U.S. Chinook Helicopter Shot Down in Iraq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51550-2003Nov2.html

The Associated Press

Sunday, November 2, 2003; 2:44 AM



BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. Chinook helicopter was shot down Sunday near Baghdad airport, injuring at least 20 people on board, a U.S. military spokesman said.

"The Chinook was shot down by an unknown weapon," said a spokesman who declined to be identified.

U.S. military officials have repeatedly warned that thousands of surface-to-air missiles remain unaccounted for Iraq after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in April and pose a threat to aviation here.

A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter crash-landed Oct. 25 in Tikrit after taking ground-fire, injuring one crewmember.

On June 12, a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter was shot down by hostile fire in the western desert, and two crewmembers were rescued unhurt. Those were the only U.S. military aircraft known to have been shot down since President Bush declared an end to major combat in Iraq on May 1.

The workhorse, 10-ton Chinook, which has a crew of four, is the military's most versatile heavy-lift helicopter, used primarily for troop movements, transporting artillery and similar functions.