An Army helicopter accident occurred May 13 during a routine training exercise at Yakima Training Center, Washington, Army officials confirmed.
No soldiers were killed in the incident involving an AH-64 Apache, but the aircrew was sent to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital for evaluation. One soldier was released the next morning while another remains in the hospital, officials confirmed. Personnel involved are assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
“Our number one priority at this time is ensuring our pilots receive the medical care they need, while simultaneously caring for their families,” Col. Derek Smith, the brigade commander, said in a statement.
The incident follows a string of helicopter accidents in recent months, including one in March in Kentucky, where two Black Hawks crashed, killing nine, and another in Alaska, where Apache helicopters collided, resulting in three deaths.
RELATED
The Army announced a force-wide safety stand down in April for pilots to complete a mandatory safety training program in the wake of the deadly collisions. Both soldiers involved in this recent incident completed that training program, Lt. Col. Bryen Freigo, a spokesperson for 7th Infantry Division, confirmed to Military Times.
The Army is dispatching an aviation safety team from the recently redesignated Fort Novosel, Alabama, to investigate the accident.
Jonathan is a staff writer and editor of the Early Bird Brief newsletter for Military Times. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media
