Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation located in Rochester, N.Y., land at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base March 14, 2015. Thirty Airmen from the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS), based at Hancock Field, and the aircrew of two CH-47F Chinook helicopters from Company B, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation, based at the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport trained together for the first time. (New York Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Eric Miller) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffAccidents involving Army and Air National Guard helicopters could be reduced if the services would do more to ensure the safety of pilots and aircrews, according to the nation’s top watchdog agency.
In an April 12 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted that the two services reported 298 accidents involving helicopters that were not related to combat operations between Oct. 1, 2012 and Sept. 30, 2021. Most were attributed to human error, the report stated. Roughly 45 of those incidents were considered serious – to include loss of life, permanent disability, hospitalization, property damages exceeding $500,000, and destroyed aircraft.
“We recommend, among other things, that the National Guard components reassess their safety officer workload,” GAO stated, adding that all too often, these officers were too preoccupied with other duties to focus on important matters such as conducting safety briefings.
Investigations by GAO determined that the two Guard components did not evaluate and update level management worksheets, and provide additional safety information such as accident data and unit culture surveys.
Additionally, Army and Air National Guard pilots did not meet established flying hour goals because there were not enough aircrews and maintenance issues were not addressed. While GAO credited the services with acknowledging and trying to resolve these problems, the report concluded that more could be done.
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