Apaches Down in Alaska

[PHXPhlyer]

Two Army Apache helicopters crash in Alaska
There were two people on board each helicopter when the aircraft crashed near Healy on a training flight Thursday

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tw ... -rcna81913

Two Army Apache helicopters crashed on a training flight Thursday in Alaska, military officials said.

The helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright, the 11th Airborne Division said in a statement.

The AH-64 helicopters were returning from a training flight when the incident occurred near Healy, the 11th Airborne Division said.

There were two people on each helicopter, for four total, division spokesperson John Pennell said.

"First responders are on the scene. The incident is under investigation, and more information about the incident will be released when it becomes available," the 11th Airborne Division said.

Fort Wainwright is an Army base in Fairbanks that was established in 1938. It is home to several units, including the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and the 25th Infantry Division.

In March, nine soldiers were killed in Kentucky when two Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise west of Fort Campbell.

The cause and nature of Thursday's crash in Alaska remained unclear. The incident is under investigation.

The AH-64 is an attack helicopter that has a crew of two — a pilot and a copilot gunner — according to the Army’s website.

Healy is a community around 80 miles southwest of Fort Wainwright.

The 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment is under the 11th Airborne Division, which is headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.

PP

[CharlieOneSix]

Sadly three crew members died in this midair collision….

https://apnews.com/article/us-army-hel ... e4c1958f1b

[PHXPhlyer]

Army grounds most aviation after fatal helicopter crashes
The order to focus on training comes a day after three soldiers were killed when two attack helicopters collided in mid-air in Alaska.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ar ... -rcna82066

Army leadership on Friday ordered an aviation stand-down after two fatal helicopter crashes, the most recent of which killed three soldiers and injured a fourth in Alaska on Thursday.

The order by Army Chief of Staff James McConville grounds all Army aviators except those on critical missions until they do training, the Army said in a statement.

“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,” McConville said in a statement.

Twelve soldiers have been killed in helicopter crashes since March.

On Thursday, three soldiers died and a fourth was injured after two Apache helicopters collided in mid-air in Alaska and crashed, the 11th Airborne Division said. They were returning to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks at the time.

On March 29, nine soldiers died when the two Black Hawk helicopters they were in crashed in Kentucky, west of Fort Campbell.

Both incidents involved training exercises.

“During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission,” McConville said in the statement.

The Army said that it will review "risk approval/risk management process," aircraft maintenance training, how flight briefings are done and flight planning, aimed at reducing risks, among other issues.

The cause of Thursday’s crash in Alaska is under investigation, and the identified of the soldiers who were killed have not yet been released.

They were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment based at Fort Wainwright.

The crash happened near Healy, a community around 80 miles southwest of the military base in Fairbanks, the military has said.

PP

[OneHungLow]

“During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission,” McConville said in the statement."

Maybe I am just being difficult, but there seems to be a small level of circularity to an argument that says that training flights should be limited until the pilots are relevantly trained? I do understand, of course, that training protocols, and learned and documented standards, are key to good training and flight safety, but recency and sufficient training hours per month must be just as important in the overall scheme of things!

[PHXPhlyer]

Army says helicopters crashed in mountains, fair weather

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/army- ... ir-weather#

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Two U.S. Army helicopters that crashed last week in Alaska, killing three soldiers, collided over a rugged, mountainous area, and there were no weather issues or visibility problems at the time, an Army spokesperson said Sunday.

The two AH-64 Apache helicopters were returning to Fort Wainwright from an aerial gunnery range southeast of Fairbanks when they collided.

Killed were Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah.
A fourth soldier survived and remained hospitalized Sunday, said John Pennell, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Alaska.

Investigators planned to fly on Monday morning to the accident scene about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of the small town of Healy, Pennell said.

PP