- SURNAME
Gradzewicz
- FORENAME
Joseph Stanley
- UNIT
10 SF Group (Company C,3 Bn Det A-122)
- RANK
Sergeant First Class
- NUMBER
- DATE OF DEATH
27th July 1990
- AGE
31
- GRAVESITE
Sacred Heart Cemetery,Meriden,New Haven County,Connecticut
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
from Meriden,Connecticut
born 4.5.1959 Meriden,Connecticut
son of Stanley J. and Catherine (nee Alvaro) Gradzewicz
married 26.6.1981 (2 children Joseph and Megan)
son Joseph Stanley,Jr served in Iraq 2005 as 2Lt 325 Infantry Regiment (Airborne) (Company D,2 Bn)
killed when helicopter crashed into Pinnacle Mountain,Arkansas
UH-60A Blackhawk (86-24500) (160 SOAR)
SFC Gradzewicz was killed during a routine training mission when the UH-60A helicopter he was aboard experienced a malfunction. Aircraft 86-24500 crashed into a hillside 5 miles South of Charleston, on a night flight in the early stages of a war game. At 50' AGL and 40 KIAS while on short final to unimproved LZ, the aircraft experienced uncommanded right yaw, which progressed into right spin. the flight crew took corrective measures to regain control. During autorotation, master warning panel lights came on causing NVGs to shut down. The aircraft landed hard, coming to rest relatively level with left side of aircraft crushed. Investigation revealed tail rotor control retaining washer had cracked and allowed tail rotor pitch beam to rotate, resulting in loss of tail rotor control.
DATE OF DEATH:
27-Jul-1990
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