Michael A. “Mike” Sutton was born on May 13, 1956, in Flint, Michigan. He was the son of Don Sutton and Geneveive Sutton. He was the husband of Susan Sutton. He graduated from Prairie View High School and attended Wichita State University. He was a part-time teaching assistant in broadcasting at the University. He worked for the Dubuque Packing Co. and the Griffith Provision Co. before enlisting in the service in January 1979. He served in the United States Air Force as a Senior Airman and was a reporter with the Armed Forces Network (AFN).

On September 11, 1982, he was among the 46 victims who lost their lives when the CH-47C Chinook helicopter (serial 74-22292), assigned to the 295th Assault Support Helicopter Company, crashed near Mannheim, West Germany, during the city’s 375th anniversary air show. The aircraft, overloaded with passengers, began descending after mechanical problems were reported. Investigations revealed that clogged oil passages, caused by walnut grit residue left from maintenance, led to transmission failure and loss of rotor synchronization. The resulting collision of the blades caused the helicopter to break apart and crash in flames onto the Autobahn A 656. This tragedy led to a fleet-wide grounding of Chinooks and is regarded as the deadliest helicopter accident in history.

SRA Sutton is now buried in the Elm Grove Cadmus Cemetery, Cadmus, Linn County, Kansas, USA.

Source of information: www.chinook-helicopter.com, www.findagrave.com