Army issues ground stop to aviation not used for critical missions after helicopter crash

The U.S. Army issued a ground stop to all aviation not used in critical missions after three soldiers were killed, and another injured, on Thursday in a helicopter crash over Alaska.

The order will require Army aviators to undergo training to prevent similar occurrences in the future, according to a statement.

“The move grounds all Army aviators, except those participating in critical missions, until they complete the required training,” the Army said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville said.

McConville said the Army will take time during the ground stop to focus on safety and training procedures.

“During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission,” he wrote in the statement.

Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment crashed near Healy, Alaska on Thursday while returning from a training mission. Two of the soldiers were declared dead at the scene, while a third died en route to the hospital, the Army said. A fourth soldier is being treated at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.

The crash marked the second this year involving an Apache helicopter in the state, after two soldiers were injured in February when one of the helicopters rolled after taking off from Talkeetna, Alaska.

With Thursday’s crash, 12 people have been killed in Army helicopter crashes since last month. Nine were killed during a training incident in Kentucky involving two Blackhawks in March.