SGT. David Coleman was a US Army UH-1H helicopter repair assigned with 1st Platoon, Company B, 4th Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, at Soto Cano Airbase in Honduras in 1990. His platoon was on rotation and forward deployed in El Salvador in support of the US Military Advisory Group.

On Feb. 25, 1991, SGT. Coleman was the crew chief on the trailing helicopter in a flight of 2 aircraft from San Salvador on a routine support mission to visit military advisors in the eastern part of the country. Shortly after departing from Ilopango Airbase, his helicopter experienced a tail rotor driveshaft malfunction, resulting in the loss of aircraft control and crashing into Lake Ilopango, a deep volcanic lake. All five Soldiers onboard died in the impact and sinking of the aircraft. Due to hostilities from the ongoing conflict between government forces and rebel forces of the FMLN, accessibility to the volcanic lake area, and lack of resources, a recovery operation could not be mounted.

Killed with Coleman were pilot Chief Warrant Officer 2 Paul Timmer and copilot Warrant Officer Eric Funderburg from Company B, attached door gunner Specialist Marvin Simpson from the 193rd Infantry Brigade in Panama, and Sergeant First Class Juan Guerra-Llopiz, the supply sergeant for the U.S. Military Advisory Group.

It is believed by his unit commander that during the inflight emergency SGT. Coleman unbuckled his seatbelt and with his safety harness tethered to the cabin wall or floor, he maneuvered to lean out of the aircraft to help identify the problem with the tail rotor for the pilots. Then during the impact crash sequence, SGT. Coleman was thrown with sufficient force to severe his tether with the aircraft, and the heavy weight of his body armor, survival vest and sidearm caused him to rapidly sink into a deeper part of the lake.

From March 11 to 28, 1991, a joint US Navy-Army team conducted a recovery of the crew and the aircraft. Four of the Soldiers were recovered from inside the helicopter at the lake crash site by a tethered remote controlled submersible drone. However, SGT. Coleman’s body could not be located and he remains missing in action.

The Army in 1996 awarded posthumously the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal to all five Soldiers for their service in El Salvador.

Fallen with SGT Coleman:
WO1 Eric David Funderburg
SFC Juan L. Guerra-Llopiz
SPC Marvin Todd Simpson
CW2 Paul Stephen Timmer Jr.

Update by his unit commander in 2024.