Astray Into the Zone

God smiles upon fools—and lieutenants.

Samuel Dawson

Friday, June 02, 2023 at 05:33 PM ET

Verified

[Credit: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

A U.S. Army Black Hawk crew in 1988 Korea inadvertently strayed near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into potentially hostile territory due to a critical 90-degree drift in a faulty Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI).
Critically low on fuel, they made an emergency landing at a remote South Korean airstrip where they were initially detained by armed ROK soldiers who mistook them for North Korean infiltrators.
The HSI's intermittent failure was later confirmed when other senior officers experienced the exact same navigation issue in the same aircraft, validating the initial crew's predicament.

See a mistake? Contact us.

As a newly minted U.S. Army aviator and UH-60 Black Hawk pilot, being based in the Republic of Korea in 1988 was an ideal first assignment. The cost of living was low, the people were friendly, and the food was great. And then there was the flying. There were few rules in Korea, and as young lieutenants and warrant officers we took advantage and “aired out” our UH-60s often.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

If you're not already a subscriber, what are you waiting for? Subscribe today to get the issue as soon as it is released in either Print or Digital formats.