“ 475 was #2 of a flight of 3 that were too fly a night mission. The 3 aircraft did their run ups and the first aircaft lifted off, did their hover check.then departed. 475 lifted off and while performing their hover check, drifted backwards into a huge oak tree and losing her tail rotor. The acft began to torque and descended into the ground coming to rest on it's left side. The cockpit did not breakaway at the 210 joint but was crumpled under the wreckage. SP6 Carlos Malpas (FE) was lying beside the wreckage, SP5 Sykes was thrown from the pod, CPT Fink crawled from under the wreckage, and CW4 Richard Harrison was pinned underneath the aircraft. A few minutes after the crash and within seconds of CPT Fink crawling out the aircraft caught fire. CW4 Harrison diied in the acft and SP6 Malpas died at the scene. ”