Huge Update: Black Hawk Pilots Grounded After Rotor Washing Helene Volunteers' Aid Cache
A Black Hawk helicopter crew has been grounded after officials say their flight thrashed a Hurricane Helene relief station.
The incident occurred Sunday in North Carolina, at a Burnsville parking lot where aid for storm victims was being staged.
Video from multiple angles shows the all-black helicopter seemingly circling the area before hovering low over the lot, scattering tents and volunteers’ other unsecured items.
Some people touched on conspiracies during and after the incident, calling the helicopter “unmarked” and reporting mysterious black SUVs that appeared and disappeared less than an hour before the helicopter’s arrival.
Now, the North Carolina National Guard admits that its own UH-60 Black Hawk and crew were the ones responsible for the incident.
“The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) is aware of an incident involving a NCNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a delivery of generators at the request of a local civilian organization to power their distribution outpost in western North Carolina,” the state military force wrote in a Tuesday evening Facebook post.
“While attempting to land, rotor wash caused items to blow away from the local distribution set up by a group of civilians in the area,” the post continues.
“The crew immediately identified the situation, aborted the landing for safety reasons, and departed the area.”
Those behind the rotor wash will not be flying until cleared by National Guard officials.
“This incident is currently under investigation and the crew has been grounded until the investigation is complete,” the NCNG wrote.
“The NCNG is working with the identified local civilian organization to assess the level of damage caused by the rotor wash.”
It’s unclear how much damage was done by the rotor wash, but video shows tents, papers and other items being scattered around the parking lot underneath the low helicopter. Clips of the helicopter’s disruptive flight have been seen millions of times since Sunday.
WARNING: The following videos contain language that some may find offensive.
Why did an unmarked Blackhawk rotor wash a supply drop off in western North Carolina pic.twitter.com/CqkgCvwEVZ
— Washingtons ghost (@hartgoat) October 7, 2024
“Safety is the NCNG’s number one priority, especially with the high volume of air operations currently happening across the region,” the state force wrote.
“While the NCNG strives for precision in every mission, sometimes things don’t go as planned. When that happens, the NCNG takes it very seriously and are committed to addressing and correcting any issues to prevent future occurrences.”
No injuries or major property loss have yet been identified in the incident.
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