bell uh-1 huey (unknown reg)

BELL UH-1 HUEY (REGISTRATION: UNKNOWN)
The Air Force on Friday convened a special board of officers from the Strategic Air Command to investigate the crash of a UH-1 Huey helicopter that killed five people and critically injured a sixth.

The helicopter, which was providing security for a missile maintenance convoy, crashed shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday in a field northwest of Bear Butte, about five miles northeast of Sturgis.

Killed were the pilot, Capt. Brian H. Snider, 29, New Palestine, Ind.; and the co-pilot, 2nd Lt. David H. Gordon, 25, Auburn, Wash., both assigned to Detachment 2, 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron.

Three men assigned to the 45th Missile Security Squadron also were killed: Senior Airman Donald Heitkamp, 23, St. Henry, Ohio; Airman 1st Class Berry P. Holmes, 21, Miami; and Staff Sgt. Charles L. Huskey, 23, Chatsworth, Ga.

Airman 1st Class Latania Huguley, 22, of Salem, Ala., was the lone survivor. Ms. Huguley, a missile security specialist, was listed in critical condition Friday in Rapid City Regional Hospital with undisclosed injuries.

Heitkamp, Holmes, Huskey and Ms. Huguley worked as security police for the 45th Missile Security Squadron.

″The helicopter was providing security for missile maintenance activity,″ said an Air Force spokesman from Ellsworth Air Force Base. ″We can neither confirm nor deny the presence of any nuclear weapons. That’s Air Force policy.″