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 aviator flying a UH-60 Black Hawk in South Korea in 1988 nearly strayed into North Korean airspace due to a faulty Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) that drifted 90 degrees without displaying a failure warning.
The pilots realized their navigational error when cross-referencing instruments, prompting an immediate low-altitude, high-speed evasive maneuver south to escape potential North Korean detection.
After landing at a remote South Korean airstrip for an emergency refuel, the crew was initially mistaken for North Korean infiltrators by ROK soldiers, leading to a tense confrontation before being identified as American.
The HSI's malfunction was later corroborated when it caused another flight crew on the same aircraft to become lost, validating the initial incident report.

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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

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