After a series of crashes, National Guard halts helicopter operations

In response to recent helicopter incidents, the Army National Guard has initiated a comprehensive safety review, leading to the grounding of all helicopter units nationwide, as reported by The Hill.

The order from Army National Guard Director Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen comes after a fatal crash involving a Mississippi National Guard Apache helicopter on Feb. 23, resulting in the loss of two pilots. Another incident in February involving a Utah National Guard Apache saw both pilots survive.

Lt. Gen. Jensen emphasized, “We are a combat force with helicopters training or on mission worldwide every day. Safety is always at the top of our minds. We will stand down to ensure all of our crews are prepared as well as possible for whatever they’re asked to do.”

The reasons behind the recent crashes have not been disclosed publicly, with ongoing investigations by the Army’s Combat Readiness Center.

The tragic accident in Mississippi took the lives of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan Andrew Zemek and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Derek Joshua Abbott. The crash happened near Booneville during a routine training flight.

These incidents occur in the context of previous accidents involving Army helicopters. In March 2023, a collision between two Army Black Hawk helicopters near Fort Campbell, Ky., resulted in nine soldiers’ deaths, leading to a rare service-wide stand-down under then-Army chief Gen. James McConville.

Prior to that, a Black Hawk crash in February 2023 resulted in the deaths of two Tennessee guard members, while a 2021 incident involving the same aircraft saw three New York National Guard soldiers lose their lives.

The stand-down is expected to conclude after a thorough review by all units, although the duration of this process has not been specified.