Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

Two Chief Warrant Officers assigned to the Tennessee Army National Guard, Nashville, Tennessee, died in an aviation mishap 15 February 2023 near Huntsville, Alabama, at 1459 local. The two-pilot crew was conducting an instrument flight rules training flight on approach to Huntsville International Airport when the aircraft experienced an unknown event that led to it losing altitude. The aircraft crashed on Highway 53 near Burwell Road in the vicinity of Harvest, Alabama. Federal and local authorities responded to the scene and secured the site with assistance from Redstone Arsenal safety personnel. Both pilots died in the mishap, and the aircraft was a total loss. Recovery assets responded to the scene and a U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center Centralized Accident Investigation team is leading the investigation.

Since FY18, the Army has had an average of seven Class A aviation flight mishaps and lost an average of five Soldiers per year to on-duty aviation mishaps. This was the third Class A aviation mishap of FY23 and one above the number of similar mishaps during the same time period last year.
 

 

A Chief Warrant Officer 4 and two Chief Warrant Officer 3s assigned to the Idaho Army National Guard, Boise, Idaho, died in an aviation mishap 2 February 2021 near Boise. Shortly after 2000 local, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center contacted the Idaho Guard to say it had received an active emergency locator transmitter signal from the aircraft. Search and rescue was initiated and the crash site was located approximately four hours later in mountainous, snow-covered terrain, at an elevation of 5,180 feet. The cause of the mishap is under investigation by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center.

Since FY16, the Army has had an average of eight Class A aviation flight mishaps and lost an average of seven Soldiers per year to on-duty aviation mishaps. This was the fourth Class A aviation mishap of FY21 and equal to the number of similar mishaps during the same time period last year.

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A Chief Warrant Officer 5, Chief Warrant Officer 4, and Chief Warrant Officer 2, assigned to the New York Army National Guard, Rochester, New York, died in an aviation mishap on 20 January 2021 in Mendon, New York, at approximately 1830 EST. The aircraft was conducting an Annual Proficiency and Readiness Test (APART) and Readiness Level (RL) progression flight from AASF #2 in Rochester, when it departed controlled flight and impacted terrain, fatally injuring all three aircrew members. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is leading a safety investigation into the mishap.

Since FY16, the Army has had an average of eight Class A aviation flight mishaps and lost an average of seven Soldiers per year to on-duty aviation mishaps. This was the third Class A aviation mishap of FY21 and below the number of similar mishaps during the same time period last year.

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A Captain, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Chief Warrant Officer 2, Staff Sergeant and Sergeant, all assigned to Task Force Sinai, Multinational Force and Observers, along with two additional Partner Nation's personnel were fatality injured in an aviation mishap on 12 November 2020 on Tiran Island, Saudi Arabia, off the coast of South Sinai, Egypt, at approximately 1057 local. The Soldiers were on a resupply mission at the time of the mishap. A fifth crewmember, a Staff Sergeant, onboard the aircraft was injured and medically evacuated to a hospital, where he is awaiting surgery. The USACRC is leading a safety investigation into the mishap.

Since FY16, the Army has had an average of eight Class A aviation flight mishaps and lost an average of seven Soldiers per year to on-duty aviation mishaps. This was the first Class A aviation mishap of FY21 and below the number of similar mishaps during the same time period last year.

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A Sergeant and Staff Sergeant assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died in an aircraft mishap 27 August 2020 on San Clemente Island, California, at 1730 local. Two aircraft departed North Island Naval Air Station (KNZY) en route to the San Clemente Island range. Once the flight arrived, the crew commenced call-for-fire training as a flight of two. At approximately 1730, the radio call was received that one of the aircraft had been involved in a mishap. All crew members were extracted from the aircraft and transported to the local hospital. Sensitive items and the site were secured. The USACRC is leading a safety investigation into the mishap.

During the fourth quarter from FY15--19, the Army averaged 4.2 Class A aviation mishaps. However, this year we have had only one Class A aviation mishap to date in the fourth quarter. Prior to this incident, the Army had not experienced a Class A aviation mishap since March 2020, over five months ago. While the Army still continues to fly over 90% of its year-to-date flying hours, the Class A aviation mishap rate is 0.86 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, the lowest rate since FY16 and lower than the five- and 10-year averages. This is the seventh Class A aviation mishap of FY20, but the third fatal aviation mishap of FY20.

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