Can The Chinook Helicopter Land On Water?

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is one of the United States military's largest and most robust transport helicopters. It has been in service with the U.S. Army since the early 1960s with more than 950 currently in operation around the world. While it's not the largest helicopter in the U.S. military — that honor goes to the CH-53K King Stallion — the Chinook is massive. As a transport helicopter, the Chinook boasts numerous capabilities, including the ability to carry up to 33 fully armed troops  plus a pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer as well as payloads weighing up to 26,000 lbs.

It's used primarily by the U.S. Army, operating in the places where service tends to find itself, which is on land. While the Army does have its own ships, it's predominantly a ground fighting force, so it's unlikely many people look at the Chinook and think it might have something to do with water-based operations. For the most part, that's true, but that doesn't mean tests haven't been conducted to determine whether or not the Chinook can float.

In 1965, Boeing worked with the Army to test the Chinook's floating capabilities, and they proved that the helicopter could indeed land on water. They used an early model CH-47A Chinook and succeeded in testing it by sealing its fuselage. This demonstrated the chopper's naval abilities, making it another asset capable of supporting amphibious operations. However, the helicopter's water-based abilities didn't end there.

The CH-47 Chinook is certainly one of the most iconic military helicopters in history, and it continues to operate on or near the water. Outside of military operations, firefighting services have used the Chinook because of its large payload capacity, allowing it to collect, hold, and drop 3,000 gallons of water via a retractable snorkel system. Landing on water is not often done, but after 1965's successful test proved the capability, Chinooks have landed on water for a variety of reasons.

In 2022, an Indian armed forces special operations unit landed a Chinook on water and opened its rear loading ramp, allowing water to flow inside. As personnel waited, a squad approached on an inflatable boat and drove it directly inside. Presumably, they can offload in the same manner, so the Chinook's water-landing abilities have been used and improved since its first test more than 60 years earlier.

While a Chinook can land on the water, it must be intentional, or serious accidents can occur. On June 20, 2023, an accident involving a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-147F suffered a catastrophic crash, resulting in the deaths of two crew members and the hospitalization of two more. An investigation found that the crew suffered from spatial disorientation, caused by the helicopter accelerating downward, resulting in the aircraft hitting the water and crashing.