Blackhawk helicopters involved in crash near Utah ski resort
‘The crews assume some level of risk. Every time you go fly a helicopter, there’s a little bit of danger involved. I’m just happy everyone is OK’
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
A Blackhawk helicopter crashed and another was damaged after an accident during a National Guard training exercise in Utah.
The two downed Blackhawk UH-60s caused the closure of the Snowbird ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
Images posted online showed the two helicopters a short distance apart on the slopes at Mineral Basin, on the southeast of the resort.
The Utah National Guard confirmed the training accident occurred at about 9.30am local time at the resort, which is about 28 miles (47 kilometres) from Salt Lake City.
“No crew members were injured in the accident. Both UH-60s were damaged. The incident is under investigation,” they said in a tweet.
Video footage from local ABC channel 4Utah showed people walking away from the two helicopters shortly after the crash.
A skier filming the crash from a chairlift commented as one of the Blackhawks went down in a plume of powder whipped by one of the helicopter’s rotors.
“It crashed, it f**ing crashed,” he said. “No way dude.”
Utah National Guard spokesman Jared Jones said the crash occurred during a standard exercise to train pilots to land in difficult areas regardless of weather conditions.
“We do train on the edge so that we’re ready for a combat environment anywhere in the world. The crews assume some level of risk. Every time you go fly a helicopter, there’s a little bit of danger involved. I’m just happy everyone is OK,” he said.
The crash comes about a year after two similar helicopter crashes. In January 2021, a UH-60 Blackhawk crashed during a training exercise and killed three in New York. The following month, a similar crash killed three in Boise, Idaho.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments