Army bans aviator training after fatal crash : NPR
Cameron Roxbury/AP
JUNAU, Alaska — The U.S. Army has grounded its air force for training after 12 soldiers were killed in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky last month, the military branch said Friday.
The suspension of air operations took effect immediately and the unit was on the ground until it completed its training, said Lt. Col. Terrence Kelly, an Army spokesperson. For active duty units, training takes place between May 1st and He May 5th. Army National Guard and Reserve units must complete training by May 31st.
“This move will suspend all Army aviators until they complete the required training, except for those on critical missions,” the Army said in a statement.
on thursday Two Army helicopters collide near Healy, AlaskaAn aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Air Regiment at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks was returning from training when it crashed, according to the Army. This unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, affectionately known as the “Arctic Angels”.
Military investigators headed inside Alaska, according to U.S. Army Alaska spokesperson John Pennell. Little new information about the crash was released on Friday.
The Army said Thursday that two soldiers died at the scene and a third died en route to a hospital in Fairbanks. His fourth soldier, who was injured, was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition on Friday, Pennell said. The names of those killed were not immediately released.
Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground the air force, “The safety of our aviators is our number one priority, and this shutdown will be implemented wherever possible to prevent accidents and protect personnel. It’s an important step to ensure that for training.
This is the second military helicopter crash in Alaska this year.
In February, an Apache helicopter taking off from Talkeetna overturned, injuring two soldiers. This aircraft was one of his four from Fort Wainwright to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
March, Two US Army Blackhawk medical evacuation helicopters crash, killing nine soldiers During regular nighttime training approximately 50 miles (30 miles) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Army said Thursday’s crash and the crash in Kentucky remain under investigation, but “there is no indication of any pattern between the two crashes.”
About 1,000 people live in Healy, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 km) north of Anchorage.
Located on the Parks Highway, this community is a popular place to spend the night for visitors to Denali Park, home to the highest mountain on the continent.
Healy is also known as the closest town to an abandoned backcountry bus, made popular by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and moved to Fairbanks in 2020.
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An AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter from 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment flies over the mountains near Fort Wainwright, Alaska, on June 3, 2019, in this photo released by the U.S. Army. .
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An AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter from 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment flies over the mountains near Fort Wainwright, Alaska, on June 3, 2019, in this photo released by the U.S. Army. .
Cameron Roxbury/AP
JUNAU, Alaska — The U.S. Army has grounded its air force for training after 12 soldiers were killed in helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky last month, the military branch said Friday. The suspension of air operations took effect immediately and the unit was on the ground until it completed its training, said Lt. Col. Terrence Kelly, an Army spokesperson. For active duty units, training takes place between May 1st and He May 5th. Army National Guard and Reserve units must complete training by May 31st.
“This move will suspend all Army aviators until they complete the required training, except for those on critical missions,” the Army said in a statement. on thursday Two Army helicopters collide near Healy, AlaskaAn aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Air Regiment at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks was returning from training when it crashed, according to the Army. This unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, affectionately known as the “Arctic Angels”. Military investigators headed inside Alaska, according to U.S. Army Alaska spokesperson John Pennell. Little new information about the crash was released on Friday.
The Army said Thursday that two soldiers died at the scene and a third died en route to a hospital in Fairbanks. His fourth soldier, who was injured, was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition on Friday, Pennell said. The names of those killed were not immediately released.
Army Chief of Staff James McConville said of the decision to ground the air force, “The safety of our aviators is our number one priority, and this shutdown will be implemented wherever possible to prevent accidents and protect personnel. It’s an important step to ensure that for training. This is the second military helicopter crash in Alaska this year. In February, an Apache helicopter taking off from Talkeetna overturned, injuring two soldiers. This aircraft was one of his four from Fort Wainwright to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. March, Two US Army Blackhawk medical evacuation helicopters crash, killing nine soldiers During regular nighttime training approximately 50 miles (30 miles) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The Army said Thursday’s crash and the crash in Kentucky remain under investigation, but “there is no indication of any pattern between the two crashes.” About 1,000 people live in Healy, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Denali National Park and Preserve, or about 250 miles (400 km) north of Anchorage. Located on the Parks Highway, this community is a popular place to spend the night for visitors to Denali Park, home to the highest mountain on the continent. Healy is also known as the closest town to an abandoned backcountry bus, made popular by the book Into the Wild and the movie of the same name. The bus was removed and moved to Fairbanks in 2020.
https://www.npr.org/2023/04/29/1172886992/army-grounds-aviators-training-fatal-crashes Army bans aviator training after fatal crash : NPR