The February crash between two Utah National Guard Black Hawk helicopters caused millions in damage to the aircraft and was the result of pilot error, an investigation conducted by members of the South Carolina National Guard concluded.
The two helicopters crashed near the Mineral Basin area of Snowbird ski resort during a training exercise Feb. 22.
No one was seriously injured, but witness footage of the wreck prompted concern about its proximity to skiers.
Why did the Black Hawks plan to land there?
The area where the crash occurred is considered a designated helicopter landing zone for Utah National Guard activities and is typically used one to two times a year. It sits about 150 yards away from the Snowbird ski area, but one witness said a group of people were “within feet” of one of the crash.
Lt. Col. Jaime Thomas, public affairs officer for the Utah National Guard, said in an email that training exercises in the area are coordinated through Snowbird during non-peak hours.
The Utah National Guard chooses landing zones based on factors like an area’s proximity to populated areas — such as people, structures or livestock — the length of a landing area, slope angles, obstacles and wind. Thomas said the Utah National Guard tries to “match the training area with the types of state and federal missions we support.”
The U.S. Forest Service typically works with the Utah National Guard to help find potential areas conducive to training exercises, with specific landing zones determined by the National Guard.
But a spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service said that the Feb. 22 exercise was planned in coordination with Snowbird, and that the Forest Service wasn’t consulted — although the area was technically Forest Service land, a Snowbird spokesperson said.
Usually, the Utah National Guard would reach out to the Forest Service in cases like these, in coordination with any nearby organizations like Snowbird.
“That land ownership up there, we call it checkerboard,” said Loyal Clark, a Forest Service public affairs staff officer. “So if you go up into where Mineral Basin is — it’s the boundary between National Forest [land] and Snowbird, there are a lot of private land sections that are owned by Snowbird that are kind of tucked in between where our National Forest boundaries are.”
It doesn’t appear that any standards were violated by not consulting the Forest Service on the training mission that day. A landing zone is “not necessarily” always a pre-designated area, Thomas said, and according to a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration, a military helicopter may land in an area “as long as it doesn’t endanger people on the ground.”
There are currently no future operations planned for the Mineral Basin landing area. The Utah National Guard is also reevaluating all of its helicopter landing zones, or “HLZs,” to “determine their suitability for training operations,” Thomas said. The Forest Service was not involved in the crash investigation.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Recovery operations for two Utah Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters involved in a training accident in the Mineral Basin area last week are performed by a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and brought to the Heber Valley Airport on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.
Pilot error caused ‘catastrophic mechanical failure’
The South Carolina National Guard personnel who investigated the Utah crash included a colonel, who is a senior Black Hawk pilot and aviation safety officer; a Black Hawk standardization pilot; an aviation safety officer; an aviation medical officer; an aviation maintenance officer; and a recorder.
Together, they found that — as the Black Hawks approached the planned landing zone — the trailing helicopter descended below the lead helicopter, entering white-out conditions as fresh snow was kicked up off the ground.
The pilot in command of that helicopter then relied on flight instruments to determine his position and land.
But when the helicopter touched down, it drifted right, causing it to roll on its side. That’s when the main rotor blades snapped apart, and one piece struck the lead helicopter, causing “catastrophic mechanical failure of the tail rotor.” After completing a “full spin,” the pilot in command of the lead aircraft was able to safely land.
“Accidents like this rarely happen,” Thomas said in an email. “Regulatory guidance mandates a safety hazards survey of every landing zone. Utah Army National Guard aviation units minimize risk by identifying hazards and implementing appropriate controls as well as conducting preventative maintenance checks and services during all training missions.”
Investigators determined an error on the part of the trailing helicopter’s pilot in command caused the crash. They also found that the actions of the lead helicopter’s commanding pilot were “commendable,” since they were able to land without serious injuries to any crew members.
Both helicopters received damage to the main rotor blades, tail rotor blades and numerous other components, Thomas said, amounting to about $9.23 million in damage. Due to the extensive damage and age of both Black Hawks, it’s likely they won’t be repaired, and instead will be used in non-flying maintenance training for Army mechanics.
Security was maintained at the crash site until March 2, when the Black Hawks were recovered from the Mineral Basin area. They are being replaced by two aircraft that will arrive in Utah this month, the spokesperson said.
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