That our newest cadre of pilots should be trained under such perilous circumstances is unconscionable and especially tragic, given the recent history of deadly helicopter crashes around the U.S. military. Incidents like these have been investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and provided a clear picture of causes, contributing factors, and results. This article takes a look at these high-profile crashes, discussing what caused them, how many people were killed, and what happened in each case.
On March 10, 2015, that risk came home in a devastating collision in Navarre, Florida, about 50 miles east of Pensacola. A midair collision during a training exercise between two Army helicopters killed all eleven on board. Seven Marines and four crew members were among the dead. When those two helicopters collided, the NTSB blamed both pilots equally for not seeing and avoiding each other. Beyond just FAA operations, this incident underscores the ever-present need for situational awareness in today’s aviation operations.
In another incident on September 8, 2017, a helicopter crashed in Medford, New Jersey, claiming two lives: country music star Troy Gentry and his pilot. The helicopter came down just a few hundred feet from the runway of a small airport and major entertainment area. In response, governments swiftly began an investigation. Instead, the NTSB determined that the pilot’s actions led to the helicopter’s uncontrolled descent into a building and this preventable tragedy. Our probe found that the leading cause of the errors was pilot error.
The third major incident would take place on January 17, 2018, southwest of Raton, New Mexico. In this crash, five of six helicopter passengers were killed when their aircraft inexplicably crashed. The NTSB’s investigation into the incident found that the air traffic controller became distracted. Turning left into the path of oncoming traffic, they were distracted by an unimportant phone call. The pilot failed to use the very new electronic traffic advisory system intended to avert such a tragedy.
On March 29, 2023, two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters collided during a training exercise in Trigg County, Kentucky. They were on a routine training mission at the time. As a result, every single one of the nine service members on board lost their lives in this awful mishap. While investigations continue, early reporting suggests that multiple factors may have led to the collision. We are hopeful to see more once investigations are underway and continue.
The Louisiana National Guard’s investigation of a similar mishap uncovered important lessons learned regarding pilot situational awareness. On September 8, 2017, Army aviators lost their way. During one of their flights mid-mission, a thick sea fog quickly rolled into their training area. The loss of visibility would have serious impacts to aviation as well, especially if pilots like Suzy can no longer safely see to land.
These crashes taken together underscore just how crucial thorough training and safety procedures are to aviation operations. In the comments, they too stress the ongoing need for better pilot awareness and air traffic control communication.
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