Army Helicopter's Altitude Seen as Factor in Probe of DC Crash
The flight path of an Army helicopter before it collided with an American Airlines Group Inc. passenger jet this week above Washington is emerging as a key line of inquiry in the probe of the midair tragedy that killed 67 people.
The Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three military personnel was traveling between two dedicated flying zones, National Transportation Safety Board member J Todd Inman said at a briefing on Thursday evening.
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CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Army pilot killed in helicopter training accident in Kentucky identified
A 40-year-old Army pilot was killed, and a second pilot was injured, in a helicopter training accident Wednesday evening at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the Army post said. The soldier killed was identified Friday by the 101st Airborne Division as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright. In a post to social media earlier Friday, the 101st Airborne Division said the incident involving an AH-64 Apache helicopter had occurred in "preparation for the Army's 250th birthday," the festival and parade being held in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the Army's 250th anniversary — that also coincides with President Trump's 79th birthday. However, in a follow-up post, the division said it wanted to "clarify" that the incident "occurred during a routine attack aviation training mission inside the Fort Campbell training area. The crew was not in direct support of Week of the Eagles or Army Birthday." A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division also told CBS News by phone Friday that the training exercise had "100% nothing to do with the birthday parade in D.C." and was simply "happening while the Army prepares for the 250th birthday date." Week of the Eagles is an annual event that honors the heritage of the 101st Airborne Division. The injured pilot was treated and released from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital for minor injuries, officials said. No further details were provided. The incident is under investigation. Wright joined the Army in 2010 and had served at Fort Campbell since May 2022. He was highly-decorated, having been awarded the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Parachutist Badge, among others, his division said. "The entire 101st Combat Aviation Brigade grieves the loss of CW2 Dustin Wright," Col. Tyler Partridge, commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, said in a statement Friday. "A former Infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops. He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him." Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was among those offering condolences to the family of the soldier who died. "No matter how it happens, when we lose someone who has committed to serving our country, I know it hurts that family but it should hurt us all," the Democratic governor said Thursday. Kentucky state Sen. Craig Richardson, whose western Kentucky district includes the Fort Campbell area, said the soldier's death was heartbreaking. "This tragedy is a solemn reminder that the dangers our military faces are not limited to distant battlefields," the Republican lawmaker said. "The call to serve brings risks at home, in training, preparation, and quiet readiness." The sprawling Fort Campbell post straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Staff sergeant defrauds regiment to buy cars and hair transplant
An Army staff sergeant who defrauded his regiment out of more than £330,000 to buy luxury cars, a hair transplant and 'adult services' has been jailed. Andrew Oakes, 39, used his position as financial systems administrator at the Catterick Garrison base in North Yorkshire to transfer £336,448 of public funds into his personal accounts. He used the funds to buy three Tesla cars, a Mini Cooper and a Nissan Qashqai, along with Apple products, a hair transplant and spent £16,500 on 'adult services'. He also paid off debts by writing cheques to himself and disguising the transactions by falsifying stubs in the names of legitimate suppliers, including a regimental accountant and tailoring company. Oakes appeared for sentence on Thursday at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation, fraud by abuse of a position of trust and acquiring criminal property between February 2021 and October 2024. He was jailed for three-and-a-half years. Prosecutor Tabitha Buck said the role as a financial systems administrator was given to 'trustworthy' personnel because it gave them restricted but 'significant' access to MoD funds. In August 2024, Oakes was quizzed by his military line manager after she uncovered 'multiple suspicious transactions in the system' and reported this to the Royal Military Police. It emerged the scam first got under way in February 2021 when Oakes falsified his bank statements to try to prove that he had £300,000 available to secure a mortgage for a property, claiming he had won the money in 'the army lottery'. Between July 2021 and April 2022, he created false local authority and utility documents to claim £1,584 of mileage allowance. It was in May 2024 that the deception originally came to light, by which time Oakes had written 28 government cheques to himself. The investigation was then passed on to MoD's Economic Crime Team. He was fraudulently taking 'extensive periods of leave' on compassionate and medical grounds claiming that a family member had died. Oakes took 66 medical-leave days and 12 on 'compassionate' grounds, which first 'raised a red flag' among his military bosses. His military line manager said she had been supportive and sympathetic towards Oakes due to the 'family bereavement' and his perceived personal circumstances, which gave rise to his request for leave on compassionate grounds. Oakes, who was representing himself in court, said: 'I just want to apologise to everyone I've hurt – family and the Army especially. I was in a very bad place, drinking a lot of alcohol.' He said he wasn't a 'stable' individual at the time, adding: 'I regret everything I've done.' Judge Nathan Adams said that Oakes had 'wholly abused' a position of trust, prestige and 'high responsibility' in which he was given 'significant' access to state defence funds. He added: 'The impact of your offending is not simply the financial loss to the public purse but also the reputational damage caused to the organisation as a while, to Catterick and your battalion. 'Those officers who supported you with your personal problems felt significantly betrayed when they found out what was really going on and it's had a significant impact on the morale of your battalion in Catterick.' Mr Adams acknowledged Oakes did have genuine personal issues at the time, including the breakdown of his relationship with his former partner, which led to a drink problem. Oakes, of Station Road, Winsford, Cheshire, received a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence but was told under the Government's early-release scheme he would serve less than half of that time behind bars before being released on licence. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
3 hours ago
Large security presence expected to secure Trump's military parade, festival
Washington, D.C., is preparing for a large security presence ahead of the Army's 250th anniversary parade. Thousands of law enforcement officers from across the country will arrive in Washington to assist in security, and land, air and water assets are deployed in an effort to secure the event, which coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. "Since April 23, we've been working diligently, around the clock, to get this plan ready," Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's Washington Field Office, told ABC News, noting that officials typically have six months to a year to prepare for large-scale special security events. "This is a comprehensive plan," he said. The Secret Service has had five National Special Security Events, or NSSEs, in the past six months. "All threats are mitigated," he said. "There will be no line-of-sight issues when it comes to the president. Once you hit the Secret Service perimeter, it will be the most secure place on the planet." The U.S. Coast Guard, which is manning the waterways, told ABC News it is supporting throughout the day with security. "We do these events as part of our mission set. We partner with a lot of agencies anywhere where there is a security or safety function," Coast Guard Cmdr. Ryan Gomez said. The Secret Service and local officials have said they are expecting about nine small protests in Washington, though "No Kings Day" protests will occur nationwide, with the largest expected to be in Philadelphia. Still, McCool said "everything has been mitigated" in preparing for the event. "If you attempt to enter an area you aren't supposed to be in or attempt to commit violence, you will go to jail and you will be prosecuted," he said when asked if he had a message to those who want to disrupt the event. He said that as a matter of policy, officials can't discuss the costs of securing an event like this, though he noted that doing so "is not cheap." Both McCool and U.S. Park Police Chief Jessica Taylor told ABC News touted the partnerships around the Washington metropolitan area that will help secure the parade and festival on the National Mall. "Something I say often is, in Washington, D.C., nothing gets done without partnership," Taylor said. "In D.C. specifically, with law enforcement, we rely heavily on one another. Nothing gets done without partnerships."
