The Army has ordered an aviation “safety stand up,” with additional aviation training across the force following a dozen mishaps that have resulted in 10 fatalities in only the first six months of the fiscal year. By comparison, the Army had 10 mishaps and 14 fatalities for all fiscal 2023. Major General Walter Rugen, director of Army aviation, called the trend troubling on Wednesday with reporters. The Army defines a Class A mishap as any that results in the loss of life or equipment totaling more than $2.5 million.
During the “safety stand up,” Army aviation will continue its normal operations, Rugen said, focusing on risk management, power management, spatial disorientation, and maintenance standards. Spatial disorientation has been a trend leading to crashes, Rugen noted, while aviators will also reinforce power management measures for varying flight conditions. Officials did not share specific information on crash causes.
Aviation experts from Fort Novosel in Alabama will visit units across the service to assist with training. Recent crashes include an AH-64E Apache mishap in March at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, resulting in injuries, and two Army National Guard Apache crashes in February. The service grounded its helicopter fleet in April following multiple crashes that led to fatalities.
The safety order was issued Wednesday morning, with active-duty personnel and maintainers to complete training by May 10 and Guard/Reserve components given 60 days to complete. Five of the 12 incidents this fiscal year remain under investigation, with the focus on learning to prevent future problems.
