Looking back 20 years later on the Mount Hood rescue helicopter crash

[@anthonytroisi6682]

The pilot avoided injuring the victims and rescue team members on the mountain. It is a miracle that no one was killed in the helicopter.

[@TheWriterNW]

I remember watching this live. I was sick when I saw it. But that pilot saved the lives of the people on the ground.

[@SteveLoughran]

I'd been up below there on skis the week before; climbed to the summit the previous summer. I remember being unhappy in 2001 about the traverse just from the sheer number of people roped up, with nobody -my group included- using any protection (ice screws, snow stakes...). Which meant that if one person in a group slipped, they'd better use their axe immediately *and* everyone else in the party immediately get their own axes in to make sure they don't get pulled down. The traverse was parallel to the bergschrund so if you were going to slip, you were going to end up in it -and it was also steep enough that if you couldn't brake fast then you'd be sliding rapidly if the surface was anything other than soft snow (no idea about that day, the previous week it wasn't great for a 6 am ski down). Someone from one group slipped, that whole party couldn't stop them and as they went down, they pulled off the group below. The Bergschrund is the point where a glacier begins: above that you've got a permanent snow/ice field, below that slowly moving ice. It's usually the deepest crevasse on the glacier. Once people had started sliding, I can't see what could be done. At least with enough parties in the (partially collapsed) crater others weren't involved and so in a position to initiate a rescue-without that nobody would have survived. So: respect for the helicopter pilots and those on the ground -and RIP to those who climbers who didn't come back. I think that was the last time I did any serious ski mountaineering. I'd had friends who didn't come back from a weekend in the Alps, with this happening a few days after me being in approximately the same place and now having a 5 month old son, I decided to take a brake -and I now realise 21 years later that I've never done any serious snow work since then. Time to give all that stuff away

[@beardofkaos]

Climbing is unfortunately a selfish sport(mostly free solo) but I’ve traversed ranges in the lower 48, Alaska and Afghanistan. Every rope team you get the few ultra selfish who can’t comprehend the totality of their circumstances. I no longer climb anymore either. Kids really change you

[@Jezus42]

I saw this live

[@johngregory4801]

My wife watched this live.

[@willfillbill]

Check out the chinook helicopter rescue on mt hood, rescue helicopters are COOL and their crew are B.A. AF hovering heroes