Josh Nichols, USCG

[flyhi 24]

The Coast Guard lost a helicopter and crew last Thursday out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii. Three crewmen were recovered and did not survive. The fourth was never recovered.

PO Josh Nichols was the flight mechanic and was recovered. The September 9th Honolulu Advertiser states that while stationed in Virgina, he packed parachutes at a skydiving operation.

He also appears to have been injured about three years ago jumping when stationed at ATC Mobile in Alabama. May have jumped at Emerald Coast or Gold Coast.

Condolences to family and friends who knew him.

BSBD

[jcrouch 0]

Josh's dad owns the maintenance shop at West Point, and has been there working on planes for more than 20 years. He brought Josh to Skydive West Point in 1993 when Josh was 11 or 12 and asked us to teach him to pack parachutes so he could make some money and stay busy on weekends.
He was a good kid, and the Queen Air crash in 1995 really devastated him, losing so many friends at such a young age. We stole his youth, and he grew up fast hanging around a bunch of 20-40 year old skydivers. He traveled with us to boogies all over the U.S. and packed parachutes. He was probably the only 13 year old with an ATM card and making more cash in a weekend than most kids 5 years older were making in six months at the local McDonalds. He ended up getting his girlfriend pregnant at 15 and he worked hard to raise the baby and help his girlfriend wherever possible.
He came home for leave from the Coast Guard a few years ago and we put him through his A license training (the little bugger never did pay me for it, but I did not really mind). A year later he hooked himself in down in Alabama or Mississippi and broke his pelvis. His dad came to the DZ hangar and told me when he injured himself, and it was sad to hear. But his dad, Curt, said that Josh was tough and stubborn and would be OK. He was real proud that Josh was making something of himself in the Coast Guard. Curt came to me in the same hangar last weekend while we were doing the 88 way jumps and told me about Josh. He looked pretty stunned, as were all of us there. Seeing his picture in the Honolulu newspaper made me realize how much he looks like his dad. 2008 has been a tough year for many of us at West Point Skydiving Adventures, losing friends to oddball accidents. Blue skies Josh, your troublesome pelvis won't bother you anymore.
Jim Couch

[JohnRich 4]

Beautiful story, Jim. Thanks.

News links:

Investigation: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809090338

Charity fund: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880908055

And since those news links won't last forever, here's an attached picture of Josh from those stories that can remain here in this forum.

[jloirsdaan 0]

My wife was telling me about this accident a few days ago. Had the flags at half mast at the CG Station here in Petaluma, CA. My thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family. BSBD

Jordan

Go Fast, Dock Soft.

[palstev 1]

Josh was a good friend of ours at Goldcoast Skydivers. My wife and I ran into another Coastie on another forum. This was his answer to what had happened in HI.

"Inbox :: Message
From: Sainte

Subject: Re: You wouldn't happen....
i didnt know him personally but i was good friedns with the 3 other guys on the plane. i have heard nothing but good about Josh and can assure you the other crewmen on that flight were all excellent people. it messed me up enough that i didnt fly for about 3 months after that accident.

it was finally determined that the hoist cable had fouled around a bit on the boat they were hoisting to. it snapped under pressure and caused the helo to lean over too far. when the pilot corrected for it, the rotor blades actually ripped the hoist off the plane and caused considerable damage to the rotor blades.

the pilot took the plane back towards shore in an attempt to land instead of ditching. he apparently did not realize the extent of damage to the plane. both Josh and the swimmer, Dave Skimmin stated they should prepare to ditch. unfortunately they didnt have time to do that before the rotors came off the plane. they were at 500 feet when that happened.

i have a sticker on my hemet commemorating the 6505 and it's crew. last year, we got a plane in here at new orleans with the tail number 6605. we usually just use the last two numbers in the planes tail number, but i started a tradition here in nola to use the last 3 numbers when flying the 6605. too much bad juju using "05" as a call sign.

the other guys on the flight were:

aircraft commander (air station XO) Capt. Thom Nelson
co-pilot, CDR Andy Wischmeier
Rescue Swimmer, AST1 Dave Skimmin "


God Bless Josh and his crew! And his fellow CoastGuardedsmen that protect us!