US Army grounds non-critical mission aviators following two fatal crashes

Twelve servicemen killed in separate crashes in Alaska and Kentucky

The US Army has grounded all of its non-critical mission aviators in the wake of two helicopter crashes that killed two servicemen.

The move was announced by the service’s chief of staff and came the day after the mid-air collision of two AH-64 Apache helicopters in Alaska that killed three soldiers and wounded another.

All of the aviators will remain grounded “until they complete the required training”, the Army stated on Friday evening.

“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,” Army Chief of Staff James McConville said in a statement.

Army pilots 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.”

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters collided during night training near Kentucky’s Fort Campbell.

Both fatal incidents are the subject of investigations but the Army has said “there is no indication of any pattern” between them.

The crash in Alaska took place near Healy and is the second in the state this year.

In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter had a “rollover accident” at the Talkeetna Airport. Both soldiers involved in that incident were treated and released, according to ArmyTimes.

Earlier this month, the family of a Czech billionaire killed in a helicopter crash in Alaska two years ago sued the aircraft operator, claiming negligence may have led to the accident.

The heirs of Petr Kellner, who was killed in the crash along with four other people, have filed a lawsuit in Alaska and are seeking an investigation into the “potential negligence” which may have directly or indirectly caused the fatal incident, according to Bloomberg.

In the lawsuit, Mr Kellner’s widow Renata Kellnerova names both the operator and the participants in the rescue mission as defendants.

The family — worth $12.4bn according to Bloomberg‘s Billionaires Index — said they wanted to wait to file a lawsuit until US authorities finished their investigation into the crash.