US Army Enforces Stand Down Over Aviation Safety After Fatal Helicopter Crashes

US Army

The US Army’s chief of staff has issued orders to immediately ground every Army aviator that is not currently engaged in vital missions. The order follows a pair of helicopter crashes recently that caused the death of 12 soldiers.

A Cause For Concern For The US Army

James McConville, the chief of Staff of the US Army who issued the orders, said that the aviators will remain grounded until the necessary training is completed. In a following statement, McConville explained that the US Army’s top priority remains its aviator’s safety. As such, the stand down will be a significant method to ascertaining that everything possible is being done to avoid accidents while protecting their personnel.

At the direction of McConville, the pilots of the US Army will go through training and safety protocols as a way to make sure crews as well as pilots will have the awareness, training, and knowledge to carry out assigned missions safely.

The stand down follows a mid-air crash that occurred on April 27th involving 2 Apache AH-64 helicopters in the vicinity of Fort Wainwright in Alaska. It caused the death of three soldiers while leaving another wounded. 2 soldiers passed away at the site of the crash while the other passed while being transported to the hospital. The US Army’s 11th Airborne Division provides the report.

The crash took place approximately 100 miles to Fort Wainwright’s south. The helicopters are based at that location while being assigned to the 1st Attack Battalion of the 25th Aviation Regiment. Major General Brian Eifler, the 11th Airborne’s commanding general, commented that the loss was incredible for the families of the soldiers, the division, and fellow military personnel. He paid them the US Army’s condolences and promised to make the Army’s entire resources available as support for them.