The Crash Site Becomes a Fortress

This flow follows the struggle to secure Super 61, recover its crew, and hold a position under sustained attack.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Rescue Team Arrives

Fast Ropes into Danger A Search-and-Rescue Force A trained rescue team descended near Super 61. A delay caused by medical bags left the helicopter exposed as crowds converged. The Team Gets Down Despite an RPG strike, the pilot held the aircraft long enough for the final men to clear the ropes. The rescue team reached the crash site under immediate fire.

The Wreck Is Searched

Survivors in the Aircraft Recovering the Crew Tim Wilkinson and others found dead pilots, wounded personnel, and a crewman trapped in the wreckage. They worked to remove survivors while establishing a perimeter. A Duty to Recover the Dead The rescuers could not easily free Cliff Wolcott's body from the crushed cockpit. They continued to seek a way to recover him rather than abandon him in the wreck.

Holding Through the Night

A Position Under Siege Reinforcements Fragment Rangers and commandos reached the crash area in scattered groups. Heavy fire, wounded men, and incompatible command structures made it difficult to consolidate them. The Wait for Armor The defenders stayed in buildings and courtyards, treating casualties while a ground relief force struggled to reach them. Darkness arrived without the night-vision devices many had left at base.

October 3, 1993, about eight minutes after the crash

October 3, 1993, late afternoon

October 3–4, 1993, night