Investigators are searching for the place at which two 11th Airborne Division Apache helicopters hit each other and crashed into the Interior on the 27th of April which killed three soldiers and injuring another.
Eleventh Airborne Division media relations director John Pennell says an investigation team from the Army’s Combat Readiness Center out of Ft. Novosel, Alabama started work at the site of the crash that is located 50 miles to the east of Healy on Monday.
Pennell claims that onboard flight recorders were recovered from the wreckage.
“Each helicopter was equipped with an black box that, is similar to commercial airliners, it recorded the continuous flow of information throughout the flight” he explained. “They were able recover those black containers from the helicopters, and they’ve gotten them back at Ft. Wainwright now.”
The 11th Airborne Division release says the recording loop of 30 minutes records the aircraft’s altitude as well as attitude, speed and direction, as well as other details.
Pennell adds that additional investigators on the scene have been “taking measurements and examining the wreckage of the aircraft, and are trying to determine what might have occurred.”
Pennell claims the accident occurred in the midst of two helicopters returning at Fort Wainwright from an aerial gunnery course in the Donnelly Training Area southeast of Fairbanks. There was no problems with visibility or weather.
“I cannot tell you if the skies were clear and blue or cloudy, or any other similar thing However, there weren’t specific weather warnings for the region at the time,” the weatherman said.
Pennell states that the debris will be removed of the location via helicopter, but he’s unable to provide more details about the inquiry.
“The investigation will last whatever time the investigation will take until it is completed, and after which the group of the Army Safety Center will brief the command on what they discovered,” he said.
The Army suspended non-critical flights Friday, in response to the Alaska helicopter crash as well as the earlier one in Kentucky which claimed the lives of 9. All active units must take more training throughout the pause which will end on Friday.
As for Alaska, Pennell says the 11th Airborne is only flying in the amounts it is able to in order to conduct the investigation.
A private memorial ceremony for the three soldiers who died by the collision -the names of Christopher Robert Eramo, Stewart Duane Wayment as well as Kyle D. McKenna -The service was held on in the afternoon of Thursday in Ft. Wainwright.
Pennell states that the division was affected by the crash and loss.
“We’re trying to move ahead and do what that we can to assist those who were left behind, and to figure out the reason, and moving forward, try to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.” he added.
Pennell states that the soldier injured during the crash is now out from the hospital and is recovering at home.
