US Army Suspends Helicopter Flights, Here's the Reason! |
Washington - The US Army (US Army) temporarily suspended its helicopter flights. This was done after two crashes of AH-64 Apache and Black Hawk Attack Helicopters which killed a total of 12 soldiers.
US Army Chief of Staff General James Charles McConville ordered the immediate suspension of the US Army helicopter flights. "The safety of our pilots is our top priority, and this termination is an important step to ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel," McConville said.
The most recent accident was the tragic collision of two AH-64 Apaches near Healy, Alaska which claimed the lives of three servicemen and injured four others on April 27. While the first accident occurred in Kentucky at the end of March. The total number of victims from the two accidents was 12 soldiers.
Thursday's crash occurred as a helicopter from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, was returning from training. This unit is part of the 11th Airborne Division “Arctic Angels”.
Investigations are being carried out to determine the cause of the helicopter crash in the air. The helicopter crash at Healy was the second such accident in Alaska this year.