Airman’s close call

Associated Press

ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT — Airman Peter Vonszilassy remembers seeing his crewmates’ heads fading away as he plunged into the sea after being blown off the aircraft carrier’s flight deck.

Vonszilassy then struggled to avoid being sucked in by the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s propeller. Minutes later Friday, he was plucked from the Arabian Sea by a Navy helicopter.

Although Vonszilassy suffered only bruises, the incident left a chilling reminder to the rest of the crew of the dangers of launching and receiving up to 80 aircraft a day, even though they’re far away from the line of fire in Afghanistan.

Safety officers constantly patrol the deck in an attempt to ensure that the crew follows safety rules, from wearing helmets, goggles and ear protection to standing out of the path of high-powered exhausts from jet planes.

Vonszilassy, 20, of Fredericksburg, Va., had been dragging a power cable inches from the edge of the 750-foot-long flight deck when he walked past the high-powered exhaust of a "huffer" — a starting unit for jet fighter engines.

He was blown off his feet. The searing hot exhaust sent Vonszilassy, who was still clinging to the power cable, sliding toward the edge and onto a bomb jettison ramp, from which he briefly hung.

"I remember finally losing my grip and looking up to see the heads of the crew on the flight deck shrinking and shrinking as I fell away," Vonszilassy said.

Vonszilassy, who has been working the deck for just 1 1/2months, said he was under water for 30 seconds and felt himself being sucked toward the boat’s propeller. But the airman, who trained as a lifeguard in California, said he managed to push off the carrier’s side and swim under water away from danger.

A helicopter — already hovering above the carrier — was immediately dispatched and quickly spotted him. About 12 minutes after Vonszilassy plummeted toward the sea, rescue officers had him back on deck.

"Our people up on the flight deck need to have the heads swiveling always so they can look out for any danger coming their way," said Chief Petty Officer Tom Moorer, in charge of flight deck safety.

"We have hardly any major incidents on the deck because of this," said Moorer of Selma, Ala.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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