Three Dozen Troops Killed in One Year of Military Aviation Mishaps — Pentagon Response UnclearKristina Wong13 Feb 202416
14:03
At least three dozen service members have been killed in military aviation mishaps in one year — a concerning trend at a time of increasing U.S. tension with Russia, Iran, and China.
Also concerning is that a council at the Pentagon, created in 2022 and aimed at preventing military aviation mishaps, instead discussed motorcycle accidents at a July 2023 meeting.
Meanwhile, over the last 12 months, there have been at least 16 non-combat military aviation mishaps that have led to the deaths of at least 36 service members.
According to reports, these mishaps include:
On February 6, five Marines were killed on a training mission when their CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed in a mountainous area near San Diego during inclement weather.
On January 4, an Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber crashed while trying to land at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota after a training mission, also during bad weather. The four-person crew safely ejected.
On December 11, an Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed into the Yellow Sea off South Korea when it experienced an “in-flight emergency” during a training mission. The pilot ejected.
On November 29, eight airmen were killed when their Air Force CV-22B Osprey helicopter crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island during a training mission.
On November 20, a U.S. Navy reconnaissance jet crashed into the water off of Oahu, Hawaii, after overshooting the runway at a Marine Corps base in low-visibility and high-wind conditions. There were no casualties.
On November 10, five soldiers were killed when their Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Mediterranean Sea after experiencing an “in-flight emergency” during “routine flight training.”
On September 25, an Air Force F-16 fighter jet was damaged during an “aviation incident” in California.
On October 18, the belly of a Marine F/A-18C Hornet fighter jet lit into flames after experiencing a “landing gear anomaly” after landing at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, after a training exercise. Emergency personnel responded to the scene.
On August 27, at least three troops were killed, and at least five were injured when their Marine V-22 Osprey helicopter crashed on a north Australian island during a multinational training exercise.
On August 25, a Marine was killed after his Marine F/A-18D Hornet crashed near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego during a training exercise.
On June 11, 22 U.S. troops were injured in a helicopter accident in northeastern Syria.
On May 17, an Air Force F-15D Eagle fighter overran the runway at the Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon, after conducting routine training. The pilot ejected.
On April 27, three soldiers were killed, and one was injured after two Army AH-64 Apache helicopters crashed, returning from a training flight at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
On March 30, nine soldiers were killed when two Army Black Hawk medical evaluation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
On February 15, 2023, two soldiers were killed when their Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training flight in Madison County, Tennessee.
On February 5, 2023, two soldiers were injured when the Army AH-64D Apache helicopter crashed and rolled over when it was taking off Talkeetna, Alaska. The Apache was headed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for training and had stopped in Talkeetna to refuel.
The problem is not new to the Pentagon, but it is unclear what it is doing about it.
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https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2024/02/13/three-dozen-troops-killed-in-one-year-of-military-aviation-mishaps-pentagon-response-unclear/
