Sikorsky HSS-1N / SH-34J Seabat Sikorsky HSS-1, cn 58-821, ff:? del USN as HSS-1, 145666, 12Mar58 to HSS-1N (ASC 84), unk conv UH-34J, unk dam as UH-34J, SK-14, NAVSTA Keflavik, 11Jul69, soc 13Aug69.
The accident occurred on 10 July 1969, not the 11th. The NAS C-47 had jettisoned fuel and cargo before landing successfully on one engine at Hella in S-Iceland. The Helicopter was sent from NS Keflavik to assist. LCDR Paul Bateman, pilot and ATN3 Irving M. Goldrat, crew. LtJg James Paul Gall was the copilot of the C-47 that was being assisted and went along to guide in the search of the jettisoned cargo. The cause could very well have been wind gust as the place is very close to a steep mountain ridge in S-Iceland right under the famed Eyjafjallajokull volcano that erupted 10 years ago. The helicopter was totalled.
accident Irving Martin Goldrat was a member of a 3 man crew, together with the pilot and co-pilot. They were stationed at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. They were on a search and rescue mission to recover the crew and contents of a C-47 downed plane (mail, I think). The helicopter crashed in a field on a farm. The Navy claimed that the crash was caused by winds in the mountains. A friend told me that he had sent him living letters (cassette tapes) talking about the faulty transmissions they were dealing with in the helicopter(s).