The U.S. Army has grounded all of its helicopters amid safety concerns following two crashes over the past two months in Alaska and Kentucky that left 12 soldiers dead.
All army aviators except those engaged in critical missions have been grounded "until they complete the required training," according to a statement issued by Army Chief of Staff General James McConville.
Two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in March leaving nine people dead, while another crash involving two army helicopters in Alaska this month caused the deaths of three soldiers and injured a fourth.
The army said in a statement that the move "grounds all army aviators except those participating in critical missions until they complete the required training."
"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.
McConville said that army aviators 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."
The decision follows a mid-air collision on Thursday involving two AH-64 Apache helicopters near Fort Wainwright in Alaska. Two soldiers died at the scene and a third passed away while being transported to hospital in Fairbanks, according to a release from the Army's 11th Airborne Division.
Major General Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a statement that the deaths were "an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division."
"Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the army available to support them," Eifler added.
A fourth soldier involved in the Alaska collision was wounded but survived and is reportedly in stable condition. Military investigators have attended the scene of the collision.
The deadly collision in Kentucky occurred during a routine, nighttime training operation near Fort Campbell. All nine service members on the aircraft were killed.
Both the fatal collisions in Kentucky and Alaska are currently under investigation but the army has said "there is no indication of any pattern between the two mishaps."
Thursday's crash was the second incident involving army helicopters in Alaska this year. In February, an Apache helicopter rolled after takeoff from Talkeetna, Alaska, and caused injuries to two soldiers.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Army via email for further comment.
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Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
