AW2 Leroy "Lee" Smith Campbell HSL-32 SH-2F BUNO: Unknown 11/21/51-12/16/81 Hometown: Bucks County, PA
Perished as his helicopter slipped off the ship and he was trapped inside while helicopter hung upside down in the water.
Shipmates Comments: AW2 (Civ.) Marty Henderson: I knew Lee Campbell for 3 weeks. I arrived in Norfolk
out of boot camp apprenticeship program and was his
roommate prior to his deployment. His accident is why
the Navy doesn't use tail chains until the aircraft is
shutdown. It appears it was total pilot error that killed Lee.
From what I was told is that the helo landed, refueled,
chocks and chains taken off, except for one...the tail chain.
The pilot took off and the aircraft immediately flipped over backwards into the
water. It was said that Lee was sitting in the door
being a typical AW hero, and wasn't restrained in the
helo. I didn't know him well but after his death I told
my CMC I wanted to be an AW.
Media Articles: Copter Crashes, Aviator Missing Washington Post, Dec 17, 1981 NORFOLK, Dec. 16 (UPI)--A Navy aviator was missing today following the crash of an antisubmarine helicopter during a landing attempt aboard the frigate Donald B. Bear.
The helicopter's two pilots were rescued unharmed after the mishap in the Atlantic Ocean about 750 miles southwest of the Azores, said Lt. Cmdr David Thomas of the Navy's 2nd Fleet. The missing crewman was identified as Anti-Submarine Warfare Operator Leroy S. Campbell, 30, of Bucks County, PA. He is assigned to a Norfolk-based helicopter squadron.
