US Army suspends non-essential flights for 24 hours after the crash of four helicopters

After the crash of four helicopters leaving twelve dead in one month, the US Army decided on Friday to ground its aircraft for 24 hours, except for essential missions.

General James Charles McConville, chief of staff of the US Army, ordered a freeze on air flights following two fatal accidents, Thursday in Alaska and at the end of March in Kentucky, which left three and nine dead respectively.

Every active Army unit must apply this 24-hour flight suspension next week. This decision bans all Army pilots from flying, except those on essential missions, until they complete the necessary training.

Three American soldiers died and another was injured Thursday in the mid-air collision of two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, returning from training in Alaska. At the end of March, nine soldiers had died in the crash of two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters during a night flight exercise in Kentucky.