Army, Air National Guard Helicopter Accidents a Result of Human Error, GAO Finds

The agency made a list of safety recommendations after studying 298 helicopter accidents from 2012 to 2021.

Thursday, April 13, 2023 at 04:48 PM ET

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A study by the Government Accountability Office found that the bulk of reported helicopter accidents in the National Guard were the result of human error. [Courtesy: GAO]

Key Takeaways:

A GAO report identified 298 non-combat helicopter accidents in the U.S. Army and Air National Guard from 2012-2021, with 45 serious incidents and 28 fatalities.
The majority of these accidents were attributed to human error, including poor communication, overconfidence, and failure to follow training standards.
The GAO recommends that the Army and Air Force improve helicopter safety by tracking recommendation implementation, updating risk management, developing recurrent aircrew evaluations, and creating a comprehensive pilot training strategy.

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The Government Accountability Office has published a report detailing what it says the U.S. Army and Air National Guard need to do to improve the safety of their helicopter operations.

Responding in part to 10 years of data that revealed 298 non-combat helicopter accidents between the Army and U.S. Air Force components of the National Guard, the GAO studied safety practices within the organizations. The agency analyzed accident data from fiscal years 2012 through 2021. The study also included document reviews and interviews with officials from a number of units