The Crash of Ashak 011 - January 20, 1978
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Link to Steve's Freedom of Information Act request concerning the Ashak011 crash. Click HERE
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Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:11:13 -0400
From: Steve Smith stevesmith@byteone.com
To: sinop2@eccoh.com
Subject: Re: Esek 11
I''ve been trying to find more info on the Esek 11 crash. Sent an email to
Ft. Rucker Public Affairs Office - no reply yet.
I did find Maj. Schlude listed in the Finance Corps Honor Roll:
http://www.financecorpshonorroll.com/
and listed as buried in Arlington National Cemetery:
http://www.military-heroes.com/final_resting_place.htm
Steve
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Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 13:58:10 -0400
From: Steve Smith stevesmith@byteone.com
To: sinop2@eccoh.com
Subject: ASA - The Crash of Esek 011
I was recently reminiscing about my Army days and my tour at Tuslog Det. 4 in Sinop, Turkey and decided to try Googling it. I was very surprised and delighted to find your site and I've been reading the archives all weekend. Of particular interest was the section on the crash of Ashak (Turkish spelling Esek) 011.
I was stationed in Sinop 76-77 as a lab technician (92B) at the dispensary. I was actually transported to Sinop aboard one of Esek Airlines' two twin-propeller planes when the crew found me at an Ankara hotel awaiting a next-day THY flight to Samsun. I gladly accepted the ride after hearing horror stories about THY and their part-time Turkish Air Force pilots, and my flight from Rome to Ankara aboard a Pan Am flight had been especially turbulent with a passenger very close to my seat making liberal use of the air-sickness bags. We flew from Ankara to Istanbul to pick up mail and then on to Sinop. My first sight of the hill was from above as the pilot buzzed it to let those below know that mail was aboard.
Over the course of the next year, I flew with Esek Airlines many times to Incirlik and back. At that time they made bi-weekly trips to the Adana air force base, and somebody from the dispensary was always on board to transport specimens and pick up medical supplies. Sometimes the rides were smooth, sometimes very turbulent - I'm sure you remember how bad the weather could get in Turkey. I also remember being asked to go along on a nighttime medevac of an American civilian employee. While waiting to take off I saw the pilot throw down his headset and start cussing up a storm. The Turkish soldier guarding the airfield had locked and loaded his weapon and was pointing it at the windshield. We had to idle until the soldier got the OK from HIS commander before we could take off.
I also remember the Mexican-American crew chief - I think his name was Cruz. He had his wife and son with him in Sinop at his own expense (unaccompanied tour) and was renting a small house off-base. I was once invited to a party at his house and remember eating some of the best Mexican food I've had to this day.
I first heard about the crash from my buddy Thom Cartwright - a medical records tech in Sinop during my tour. My next duty station after Sinop was Ft. Meade and Thom went to Walter Reed. We were only about 30 miles apart and kept in touch (and later became roommates in San Diego when we both got out). Thom told me one of the small planes we were on in Turkey went down and that there were no survivors. I seem to recall that a WAC we both surved with at the dispensary was also aboard, but I can't remember her name.
I'm wondering if anybody out there has a full list of the victims of that fateful crash? I've tried searching the net and all I can find is the reference to Walter Penchikoski on your site. I think it would be a fitting tribute to those who lost their lives to have their names listed in memorium.
Please keep up the great work with your site and thanks for the work that you do to maintain it.
Best Regards,
Steve Smith
Massillon, Ohio
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Date: 7/23/2000
From: Dennis Kasabian <KEMOradio@aol.com>
I too remember that fateful weekend in Jan of 79 that brought a base of fine folks from all walks closer together in search of fallen comrades. I was the last one to talk to the crew while relaying the weather related issues from the ground crew at the landing strip. I subsequently went on to college in the 80's and I used this experience to write a term paper that was the talk of the class. From the crash, search, recovery, and all the investigation by the FAA. All my class mates seemed intrigued and ask a lot of questions of the incident as well of all the interesting friends I had named in the paper. I took a lot of pictures on a return Spring trip back to the crash site as well as a feast that the local Sorgun village presented to us that day. Those Turkish folks where so very kind and generous through out the whole deal. They even put us up in their homes after a sudden snow storm prevented the choppers from recovering the search teams from the mountain top.
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Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2002 19:41:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Dennis Kasabian
Subject: Ashak crash
Greetings Bill and everyone. It's been a while since I last communicated but here are some of the pics I have scanned for the Ashak crash page.
MPs L to R Charlie Williams, Mike Galbreath,
Daren Pila, Rick Curlis, Dennis Kasabian.The long walk in ( 2 pictures ) Another view of the valley where the chopper
picked us up for the ride to the crash site.Search.jpg - View from the chopper. Some of our group in the house that was made
available to us for our stay due to a sudden snow storm.We were so tired from 48 hours with little of no sleep and so appreciative
of the people of the Sorgun villiage. With our profound admiration and love
to The National peoples of Turkey.The Spring trip back to the crash sight.
Looking into the valley from the road up to the crash site.One of the elders with a young fellow. The Mayor of Sorgun village w/ some of our command staff. Two views of the incoming path of Ashak 18011 through the trees. ========================================
From: TenZingMoMo@aol.com
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001
Subject: Esek Crash
I didn't arrive in Sinop until July 1979, but I remember that there as a steno pad hanging in the bathroom of the dispensary and in that steno book was a recount of the crash. I will always remember reading the thoughts of the people who were stationed there at the time... it was particularly moving, when we lost a C-130 in 1980 that was enroute to Sinop with several Hill members on board. Many of us went back and read the entry from Jan '78 and then added our own entries. Wonder how long the steno book remained in the bathroom? It was a veritable wealth of historical information.
pat
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Mike Galbreath provided these pictures of an Ashak plane taken during his tour in 1977-78." ... pics of Ashak Airlines buzzing the Hill; letting us know that they have mail onboard. They dropped the mail from the aircraft on one occasion and caught hell for it. I don't believe it was repeated. "
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From: "CelticWarrior" <Mike502@webtv.net>
Subject: RE: The crash of Ashak 011
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 16:17:23 -0500
I was the last person to talk to the aircraft on the radio from the "Hill."
I was the Operations Sergeant for the MP unit. I manned the radio in HQ 'round the clock while the search parties were in the field. After the wreckage was found, I was given a relief to get some rest. I slept at the commo desk. In talking with Dennis Kasabian some of the memories are coming back. We were together on the Hill and got together this past summer for the first time since 1978.
I'll be in touch. I have a scanner now so I can send you some pics from my time at Sinop.
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From: "tseeks" <tseeks@monad.net>
Subject: {{hugs}}
Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2001
Hello Bill.
My thank you ecard did not post all I wanted to thank you for, and I would like this email to be posted on your site intact and in full please. ;-)
Again, I want to thank you so very much for helping a stranger.It is greatly appreciated. The words and the correspondence I have received along with the information has been informative, supported and oh, so welcomed. I know it is hard sometimes to try to soul oneself, but, in finding the good soul of another, can be a release of the angels. In getting in touch with you and your site, has been a hindsight that has been lifted after all these years. It is hard at times to face some things, to want to know things, but it is best to know......as angels do need to rest at times as well.
Kudos to you Bill, and beaucoup {{hugs}} to you and all others who have posted and I hope will continue to post concerning the plane crash at Sinop on 20 JAN 78 where my brother died.
You will be cherished as a lifelong friend to me, and I will always be in touch, as with some others. My chin has been lifted and heartfelt thoughts go all around.
Thank you again.
Theresa Seekins
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From: "tseeks" tseeks@monad.net
Subject: Re: Plane crash
Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2001 00:15:26 -0500
Thank you so much for getting back to me with more info in such a short time than I have had in over 20 yrs. I also got mail from a k zappa who mentioned a few names, one of which was my brother. I did not know that the base was so small in staff . I was last one to talk to my brother before he left and he said he was meeting some major who was his liaison officer & sounded like a real down to earth guy.
......please pass along my thanks to all who have been in touch with you concerning this incident ... as to what exactly happened on Jan 20 1978.
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From: "tseeks" <tseeks@monad.net>
Subject: Re: Plane crash
Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 09:23:55 -0500
....I thought I had mentioned it. Yes, Walter J. Penchikoski (ed. note:her brother, who was on ASHAK 011 when it crashed). Flying to his 1st duty station no less, and only 18. The reason I really started to try to find any information was because we never got any information from parents...
I was the last one he talked to, he was so excited.
My brother had a game plan for his whole life. I always wondered, as each anniversary came up, at which stage his life he would be at. K Zappa told me that they named the barracks after him....."Penchikoski Station" Ahhhhhh.
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From: sr1618@webtv.net (steve rinehart)
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001
Subject: Re: Sinop plane crash in 1978.
I was stationed at Sinop in Jan 1978 when the plane crashed... At the time there were only about 150 military assigned to the hill because of the arms embargo the US had against Turkey because of the war with Greece over the island they both claimed..... My boss Maj. Paul Schlude the Finance Officer died in that crash with I think it was 6 other military.....
As there were only 150 people assigned at the time it was devastating for the whole hill.... I remember most of the names of the people on the plane..... With only 150 people there at the time everyone personally knew all the victims of the tragedy...
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