Two U.S. Army Apache helicopters have crashed within 48 hours, marking the latest in a number of incidents involving the aircraft.
The first crash took place on Monday night at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington at around 9:30 p.m. and involved an AH-64E Apache helicopter, a spokesperson from the 7th Infantry Division told the Military Times.
Two pilots were injured during the accident, which took place during a 16th Combat Aviation Brigade routine training exercise.
Officials are now probing the cause of the incident, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson did not identify the pilots involved in the crash or provide further details regarding the extent of their injuries.
In a separate statement to The News Tribune, a Joint Base Lewis-McChord spokesperson described the incident as an “aviation mishap” and said fire crews and deputies were sent to the crash Yelm and Olympia.
The two pilots onboard were taken to Madigan Army Medical Center, the spokesperson said. They also noted that the helicopter involved in the incident was assigned to 4-6 ACS in the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.
Then on Wednesday, a Boeing AH-64 Apache from the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division crashed on Fort Carson, Colorado in a southern training area at around 6:30 p.m. during a training exercise, the Army said in a statement.
That incident left two soldiers hospitalized with minor injuries. They were treated at Evans Army Community Hospital, the on-base hospital, before being released the same night, according to the Army.
Aviation Assets on Fort Carson Grounded
“We are grateful our soldiers are safe, and the unit is ensuring the crew, their families, and friends are receiving all possible care and support during this time,” the statement read. “An investigative team from the Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Novosel, Alabama, will investigate the incident. The command has temporarily grounded all aviation assets on Fort Carson until further notice.”The Epoch Times has contacted the Army for further comment.
The latest incidents follow a series of crashes involving Apache helicopters including one in Utah and another in Mississippi in February, the latter of which claimed the lives of the two pilots onboard.
Officials identified the individuals who died in the Mississippi crash as Army National Guard pilots Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan Andrew Zemek and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Derek Joshua Abbott.
Those crashes, which both involved AH-64D Apache helicopters, led the U.S. Army National Guard to order a safety stand-down of its entire fleet of that particular model while it conducts a safety review.
In a statement announcing the safety stand-down, Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, director of the Army National Guard, said safety is a key priority as the combat force works with helicopters worldwide every day.
“We will stand down to ensure all of our crews are prepared as well as possible for whatever they’re asked to do,” he said.
Five U.S. Army special forces soldiers were also killed in November when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was downed over the Mediterranean Sea.
