Kiowa Helicopter Crashes into the Sea

The Kiowa helicopter’s crash is a pivotal accident during the confrontation aboard the Goya: as the damaged ship’s stern collapses and its deck tilts, Delta-One tries to keep the helicopter from sliding into the sea, but the attempted takeoff instead sends it into the Triton’s winch cable. The crash destroys the aircraft and leaves Rachel Sexton facing a second, immediate threat as the damaged cable gives way.

Causes and Setting

The sequence unfolds on the Goya, whose right stern corner begins to collapse under the ship’s weight. The deck tips sharply, turning the helicopter’s metal skids into runners on a slope. Rachel watches from inside the Triton, while Michael Tolland and others struggle to stay on the increasingly steep deck.

Delta-One’s Attempt

Delta-One first looks toward the idling Kiowa as it begins sliding toward the Triton. He scrambles up the inclined deck and climbs into the cockpit, intent on preventing the aircraft from going overboard. Pulling back on the controls, he tries to lift the heavily armed helicopter clear of the deck, but its forward tilt and momentum carry it toward the sub instead.

Collision and Crash

The Kiowa’s rotors narrowly miss the Triton and Delta-Two, who is caught in the submarine’s equipment, but the aircraft cannot clear the winch cable. Its rotating blades strike the braided steel cable, destroying the rotor assembly. With no lift, the helicopter bounces down the sloping deck and crashes into the guardrail. The rail gives way under the aircraft’s weight, and the Kiowa falls into the sea.

Immediate Consequences

Rachel survives the impact inside the Triton, but the collision has damaged the cable supporting the submarine. As she tries to assess the danger and locate Tolland, the cable unravels and then snaps. The crash therefore does more than remove the group’s helicopter: it further destabilizes the already perilous situation aboard the collapsing Goya and directly precipitates the Triton’s loss of support.