In response to two recent fatal helicopter accidents, the US Army has suspended non-critical flying operations and mandated training for all Army aviators, following the tragic collision of two AH-64 Apaches near Healy, Alaska, which claimed the lives of three soldiers on 27 April.
In response to two fatal accidents resulting in a total of 12 deaths – one in Kentucky at the end of March and the other in Alaska on Thursday – General James Charles McConville, the Chief of Staff of the US Army, has issued a directive to halt all air flights.
Three soldiers were killed and a fourth was injured on Thursday when two Army helicopters collided. Two soldiers died at the crash site while the third died en route to a hospital in Fairbanks. The fourth soldier was injured and taken to a hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition on Friday.
The incident occurred as the aircraft from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, were returning from training. The Army reported that the unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division, also known as the “Arctic Angels.”
According to Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson, air operations have been suspended immediately, and units will remain grounded until they finish training. The active-duty units must complete the training between May 1 and 5, while the Army National Guard and Reserve units have until May 31.
“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” said Army Chief of Staff James McConville.
According to John Pennell, a spokesperson for the US Army Alaska, a team from Fort Novosel, Alabama, was expected to reach the crash site in Alaska’s interior by Saturday for investigation. However, there was little additional information released about the incident on Friday.
The Healy helicopter collision is the second such incident in Alaska this year. In February, two soldiers were injured in a helicopter roll-over, and in March, nine soldiers died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kentucky during a training exercise.
