Steven Voigt

Steven Voigt
Birth name	Steven Mark Voigt
Birth date	10 August 1962(1962-08-10)
Place of birth	Waverly, Georgia
Death date	25 October 1996 (aged 34)
Place of death	Persian Gulf
Resting place	Greenlawn Cemetery in Waycross, Ware County, Georgia
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1981–1996
Rank	Petty Officer First Class (PO1; E-6) Boatswain's Mate First Class (BM1)

Steven "Steve" Mark Voigt (10 August 1962 – 25 October 1996) was a German American NCO of the United States Navy and Navy SEAL (Navy SEAL Team 8).

Life

Steven Mark Voigt with his son Steven Mark Voigt Jr.

One fall a new kid named Steve Voigt showed up in our middle school classes; he had moved from the South and everyone remarked on his gentle accent and more gentle manners. He was a remarkably good kid — good at soccer and basketball and socializing — and post high school graduation enlisted in the Navy. Steve enlisted one month after our graduation. His courage, mental and physical strength and fortitude were ingredients that made him a member of Seal Team Eight. Serving on the aircraft carrier Enterprise in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean, during the first Gulf War and before the tensions of 9/11, his service was alternately intensely boring and life changing.

Steven Voigt enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 23 July 1981 and went on active duty to begin basic training on 21 September 1981. Voigt completed basic training at NTC San Diego, California, in November 1981, and then attended Aircrew School at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, from November 1981 to February 1982. After attending additional training at NATTC Millington, Tennessee, Petty Officer Voigt attended SH-3 Sea King aircrew training and rescue swimmer training at Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron ONE (HS-1) at NAS Jacksonville, Florida. He then remained with HS-1 at NAS Jacksonville, and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), until June 1986, when he joined HS-9 at NAS Jacksonville. Petty Officer Voigt served with HS-9 at NAS Jacksonville, and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) from June 1986 to November 1988, followed by service back with HS-1 at NAS Jacksonville from November 1988 to December 1990. He attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California, from December 1990 to October 1991, and then attended Basic Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia, in October and November 1991. His next assignment was with SEAL Team EIGHT at NAB Little Creek, Virginia, from December 1991 until he was killed in the crash of an HH-60H Sea Hawk helicopter in the Persian Gulf on 25 October 1996. His Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Citation reads:

For meritorious service while serving as training department leading Petty Officer and Echo Platoon engineering representative at SEAL Team EIGHT from December 1991 to October 1996. Petty Officer VOIGT's superior leadership and organizational skill insured Echo Platoon's readiness and 100 percent mission success during Joint Task Group 96-2 deployment aboard USS Enterprise in support of Operations "DECISIVE ENDEAVOR," "SOUTHERN WATCH," and during two Sixth Fleet exercises. His unique ability to motivate his teammates and coordinate over 50 stand-by alert status logistical requirements significantly enhanced mission readiness. Petty Officer VOIGT's professionalism and devotion to duty reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Death

During US naval training exercises in the Gulf region on 25 October 1996, a U.S. Navy helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise crashed into the sea. The Red Lion 614 had twelve people on board — the pilot, co-pilot, two crew members, two exercise observers, and six members of Navy SEAL Team Eight. Voigt's comrades report, 10 made it out, but Voigt swam back with the goal of trying to save the pilot and co-pilot who were trapped. Voigt did not make it back. One body was recovered a short time later. He had drowned. The other two were initially considered missing but were soon declared dead. Another source, his friend retired Navy Lt. Commander John "Sandy" Pidgeon, who served as a Navy SEAL, reported Voigt had "asked the pilots if he could ride third seat with them. We lost Steve and the two pilots that day." As such, he was possibly trapped in the cockpit with the pilot and the co-pilot. John Fritz, a staff writer for "The Florida Times-Union", wrote on 13 June 1997:

A Navy pilot known for his on-the-edge flying style was showboating in his Jacksonville-based helicopter when it crashed last year in the Persian Gulf, killing himself and two others, a report said. The Navy investigation into the Oct. 25, 1996, crash also revealed "a disturbing history of a command where some of the squadron's pilots were routinely flying aircraft beyond [safe operating] limits," the crash report said. The pilot in this case, Lt. Robert Scott Wood Jr. of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 15, was doing an unauthorized "course reversal" maneuver to the thrill of his Navy SEAL passengers when the HH-60H helicopter hit the water, the report said. Wood, along with another Jacksonville-based HS-15 pilot, Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Allen Hilliard, and a Navy SEAL, Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Mark Voight [sic!] of Waverly, Ga., were killed in the crash. Nine other people survived. Helicopter wing and squadron officials at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, where HS-15 is based, declined comment. The report said a safety briefing was held to make sure all pilots are aware that unsafe flying is "unacceptable - period." Obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act, the report portrays Wood as a top pilot in his squadron, but one who pushed the helicopter to its limit and beyond. "It was well known that Lt. Wood was a 'hot dog' in the aircraft. He did everything to the extreme," said one person, whose name was whited out of the report by the Navy. The report notes that Wood, who felt he had mastered the helicopter and wanted to fly jets, was known as "Stamp," because he flew at the edge of the envelope. The morning of the crash, Wood and crew had finished a ship boarding exercise and were waiting to land aboard USS Enterprise when the pilots decided to do some maneuvers - sharp turns, rocking left to right and "porpoising" up and down, the report said. "The passengers enjoyed the maneuvers, laughing and encouraging the pilots on," the report said. Wood, the co-pilot, said there was time for one more "course reversal" maneuver before landing. According to the report, he put the helicopter into a steep, 60-degree climb. At the top of the climb, the aircraft came to a virtual stop, giving the passengers the feel of floating. He then spun the helicopter 180 degrees, pointed it nose down and increased the air speed. The aircraft, however, came out of the dive too low and crashed into the water. "We were almost level, when I realized we were too close," said an unnamed passenger on board. "The helo's nose was buried into the water, throwing all of us forward. I was under water for a while getting the 'washing machine' ride." Another passenger in the report said he looked toward the door and saw that the helicopter was very low. "I felt an extremely hard slam and heard a roaring and cracking sound," he said. "I felt myself doing back flips, then I was in the water. When I popped to the surface, I saw wreckage all around me, and I pulled [inflated] my life jacket." The report faults Wood for prohibited "flat hatting," or conducting maneuvers at high speed or low altitude to get a thrill. Hilliard is blamed for for failing to exercise his duties as the helicopter commander to ensure the safety of the flight. The report also criticizes the former squadron commander, Cmdr. Howard S. Bayes Jr., for failing to "maintain a command climate which ensured a safe operating environment." Bayes was relieved of his command as the result of the investigation. The report said some officers thought a conservative pilot was not as good as a more aggressive one and felt some of their colleagues were "driving the hot rod like the station wagon." The report says Bayes either was not aware flights that exceeded safety limits were routinely taking place or that he failed to take action to correct the problem. There were numerous indicators, the report concluded, that Wood was potentially at risk, but most of them went unchecked. The commanding officer, it said, was not fully briefed on many previous potential flight dangers until after the crash. Only a few days before the crash, for example, the report said the 30-year-old Wood had performed an "aggressive maneuver" in which he headed directly for a merchant ship then did a high-speed buttonhook turn around it. Bayes told investigators he served Wood a "stern warning" about his airmanship on Oct. 22 after Wood put his helicopter into an excessive nose-down attitude and bank during a carrier takeoff and landing.

New York Times

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 25— A helicopter from the aircraft carrier Enterprise crashed into the Persian Gulf today, killing one American crew member and leaving two others missing, the United States military said. The helicopter, an HH-60H Seahawk with 12 people on board, was on a training exercise when it crashed. The nine others on the helicopter were rescued and are being treated on board the Enterprise. There was no evidence the helicopter was the target of hostile action, a Navy spokesmen said. The helicopter was part of Carrier Air Wing 17, which arrived in the gulf with the Enterprise on Sept. 19 to help enforce a no-flight zone over southern Iraq. The area was established by the United States and its allies in 1991 to protect the area's Shiite Muslims. American, British and French warplanes enforce the zone, which was extended last month to reach the southern outskirts of Baghdad. The helicopter that crashed had been scheduled to perform ship boarding exercises in which troops drop down a rope onto a moving ship. A Navy spokesman, Lieut. Cmdr. Rob Newell said in Washington that he did not know how far the exercise had gone when the crash happened. The Seahawk, normally used for transport, can be adapted for special operations or assaults.

Obituary

Steven Mark Voigt, BM1 (SEAL), USN, 34, died Friday morning in the Persian Gulf while conducting helicopter operations. He was a Kingsport, Tenn., native, but lived eight years in Freehold, N.J., before moving back to Kingsport and joining the Navy in 1981. He served as an anti-submarine warfare specialist until he was selected to become a Navy SEAL. He served with SEAL Team 8 in Little Creek, Norfolk. His platoon was deployed with the USS Enterprise in June 1996 for service as a unit of the Sixth Fleet. While stationed in Norfolk, Steve was an active coach with the children's soccer league. He was a member of Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church of Kingsport. He also attended Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. He is survived by a son, Steven Voigt Jr.; his father, Fred Voigt Jr.; and mother, Ann Voigt, all of Waverly, Ga.; a brother, Fred W. Voigt III and his wife, Angela; and a sister, Martha Garris and husband, Rhyne, all of Banner Elk; and two grandmothers, Mrs. Fred Voigt Sr. of Waycross and Mrs. H.G. McClendon of Babson Park, Fla.; aunts, uncles, nephews and other relatives. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Fred W. Voigt Sr. and H.G. McClendon. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in First Presbyterian Church of Waycross. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Lunch and reception will be held in the church following the burial service. Miles-Odum Funeral Home is in charge.

Voigt v. United States

Petitioners, [father] FRED W. VOIGT, JR., as Personal Representative of the Estate of Steven Mark Voigt, Deceased, FRED W. VOIGT, JR., Individually, [mother] ANN M. VOIGT, Individually, and [son] STEVEN MARK VOIGT, JR.. respectfully request that a writ of certiorari be issued to review the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in this case.

Steve Voigt was a navy SEAL who died on October 25, 1996, in the wreck of a U.S. Navy HH60H helicopter assigned to the U.S.S. Enterprise operating in the Arabian Gulf. The decedent died as a result of the co-pilot of the aircraft (Red Lion 614) performing illegal and prohibited stunts exceeding Naval Aviation Training Operating Procedures Standarized (NATOPS) and performance limits of the aircraft. The illegal maneuvers are referred to as “flat hatting” and are basically “thrill rides”. The primary accountability for the wreck was found to rest with the commanding officer who failed to maintain a command climate which ensured a safe operating environment. Lack of leadership in the Navy’s Human Factors Council contributed to the failure to identify an unsafe condition which was occurring. The investigation of the wreck revealed a disturbing history of command where pilots routinely flew aircraft beyond safe limits. The illegal flight activities were given tacit approval through inadequate command action. Safety is a commitment to soldiers and sailors. These prohibited aerial stunts were performed in broad daylight with no restrictions in visibility and in full view of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, Augusta Division with the child of the decedent and the decedent’s parents as Plaintiffs. Defendants were the United States Navy, The United States Government and the U.S.S. Enterprise CVN 65. The government filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction which was granted by the Court on January 26, 1999, Appeal was taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Dismissal of the action was affirmed August 3, 1999 and on September 17, 1999 the petition for rehearing was denied. [...] Plaintiffs’ action arises out of a military helicopter crash that occurred on October 25, 1996 in the Arabian Gulf. On that day, Red Lion 614, an HH-60H helicopter from Helicopter Squadron 15, took off from the USS ENTERPRISE, a United States Navy aircraft carrier, to conduct Helicopter Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (“HVBSS”) training with the USS NIAGRA FALLS. The Red Lion 614 had twelve people on board — the pilot, co-pilot, two crew members, two exercise observers, and six members of Navy SEAL Team Eight. Steven Mark Voigt was one of the members of the Navy SEAL team aboard the ill-fated helicopter. The Red Lion 614 returned to the USS ENTERPRISE upon completion of the HVBSS training. Awaiting permission to land, the helicopter was placed in a holding pattern for approximately 20-30 minutes. While in the holding pattern, the helicopter crashed into the Arabian Gulf, killing the pilot, co-pilot, and Steven Voigt. The Plaintiffs allege that an aggressive co-pilot tested the limits of the helicopter by performing various and unauthorized stunts and thrill rides before receiving permission to land. One of these stunts, known as “flat-hatting,” allegedly caused the helicopter to plummet to the ocean crushing it on impact. Due to Steven Voigt’s death, the Plaintiffs have brought a wrongful death action seeking $5 million. The action is brought pursuant to general maritime common law, the Death on the High Seas Act, 46 U.S.C. § 761 et seq., the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 688, and the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. § 2674 et seq. On December 24, 1998, the United States filed its motion to dismiss pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Since that time, the Plaintiffs have not responded in any manner nor have they requested an extension of time. Local Rule 7.5 requires that any party Opposing a motion, other than a motion for summary judgment, file a response within fifteen days of service of the motion. If the Opposing party fails to file a response, the motion is deemed unopposed. In their motion, the Defendants contend the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the Feres Doctrine, as promulgated in Feres v. United States, 340 U.S. 135 (1950), because the decedent’s death occurred during the course of activity incident to his military service. They also argue that the Feres doctrine bars recovery by family members whose cause of action is ancillary to the serviceman’s action.

Awards and decorations

• Expert Rifle Medal
• Expert Pistol Medal
• Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
• Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal
• Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon with Bronze Star
• Navy Battle ‘E’ Ribbon
• Navy Good Conduct Medal with two Bronze Stars
• Navy Expeditionary Ribbon
• National Defense Service Medal
• Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with Silver Star

External links

• Steven Voigt: A must read letter written by a Navy SEAL