Latest news with #UH60BlackHawk
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rededication ceremony at Boston's Memorial Park honors fallen heroes
Ahead of Memorial Day, Massachusetts Fallen Heroes held its 10th annual rededication ceremony for the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial that stands in the heart of Boston's Seaport District at Memorial Park. This year, one more name was added to the glass panels that display the names of the 332 Massachusetts service members who have died since the Global War on Terrorism. The name belonged to SSG. Jonathan Maine of the U.S. Army, who passed away on June 12, 2024, in Plymouth. The 26-year-old passed away after a battle with cancer, according to his obituary. 'Names etched here stand for something greater than themselves, an unwavering commitment to duty, to country, and to all the values that we hold dear,' said Brigadier General Richard Cipro of the U.S. Army. He was one of many speakers during Saturday's ceremony. It also included a grand display of respect and honor for the fallen military personnel and their family through cannon fire as well as a 21-gun salute provided by the Massachusetts Army National Guard 101st Field Artillery, the landing of a UH60 Black Hawk helicopter, a performance by the 215th Army Band, and a ceremonial wreath laying. 'I just pray. We pray every day that enough with the wars. Enough. We need to not lose anymore because the pain lasts for a lifetime,' explained Shaquella Butler, who lost five family members who served in all branches of the military. Gold Star Families like Butler had the opportunity to place yellow roses at the memorial site to remember loved ones lost. 'A responsibility we have as American people is to continue to move forward and be there for those families and support them however they need,' said Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a retired U.S. Marine who survived the 2021 Abbey Gate suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed 13 U.S. service members. 'I continue to live my life in a way that I think my friends who aren't here anymore, my friends who were killed next to me, would want to live their lives if they were still here,' Vargas-Andrew added. Saturday's rededication ceremony was the final event of Patriot Week in Boston leading into Memorial Day. Events were held from May 17- May 24 for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice since the September 11th terrorist attacks. To learn more, visit their website here: This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Army is planning a parade for its anniversary — and Trump's birthday
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump might finally get his parade. The U.S. Army is planning a big celebration to recognize not only the 250th anniversary of its founding, but also President Trump's 79th birthday, both of which fall on June 14. That celebration will potentially bring tanks and hundreds of other military vehicles and aircraft onto and over the streets of the nation's capital in June, according to three defense officials familiar with the planning. During Trump's first term, the president sought to have a big military parade, but the plans were shelved over cost and concerns that some of the military vehicles, particularly tracked vehicles like tanks, could significantly damage the streets of Washington, D.C. and incur a huge price tag for repairs. The estimate for the parade being planned now is 'tens of millions of dollars,' according to two of the defense officials. Trump didn't forget and now is considering a military parade to honor both birthdays. Current plans call for more than 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft to rumble through a parade route through Washington on June 10, the three defense officials said. That could include Army wheeled vehicles, like Humvees and trucks, and so-called tracked vehicles, like tanks, two of the officials said. The aircraft will include CH-47 Chinook helicopters and UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters, two of the officials said. And the famed Golden Knights are expected to jump from above, land near the viewing stands, and deliver a flag to the VIPs, most likely Trump, two of the officials said. The Army is celebrating its 250th birthday with a number of events, including a fireworks display, a festival and a parade, Army spokesman Steve Warren said in a statement. "Parade planning is actively underway, and we anticipate approximately 150 vehicles, 50 aircraft, and 6,600 Soldiers to highlight the Army's 250 years of service to the nation," Warren said. The plan for the tanks is not yet final. One option under consideration is to put the tanks on trailers, which would mitigate some of the damage to the streets, but that could also impact the aesthetics of the parade, officials said. They also plan to have a separate staging area for the heavy vehicles so they do not have to cross any of D.C.'s bridges, two of the officials said. The vehicles would roll down the streets of Washington in columns, the officials said, in a way that some critics of the planned parade in his first term compared to what is more typically seen in places like North Korea and Russia. For now, the plan is to have Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicles, the Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicles and more, the officials said. All the Army vehicles would be drawn from the Army's 10 divisions, brought in mostly via train from bases like Fort Bliss, Texas to Fort Drum, New York. Each division will dedicate between 200 and 400 people to the parade, the officials said. Under the current plan, some of the troops would sleep in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and U.S. General Services Administration buildings, according to two of the defense officials. Asked about the parade last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that planning was in the early stages and that the Trump administration had reached out about it, but said she had not been directly involved yet. The parade theme will include U.S. wars throughout the Army's history and include soldiers marching in period uniforms, the officials explained. The plans are still evolving but the current early estimate is the parade and static displays in D.C. will cost as much as $45 million, according to two of the defense officials, who said that could change as planning continues. The final estimates from inside the Army are not yet complete as plans for the parade have not yet been fully approved by the White House and the Army, two of the officials said. Individual Army units will bear the ultimate cost of the parade, three of the officials said. In some cases, units would have to spend more than $1 million to participate. That could impact funds used for training, officials said. 'Could the parade potentially impact training? Absolutely,' said one of the defense officials. 'Will it impact training? That's unclear.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
U.S. Army is planning a parade for its anniversary — and Trump's birthday
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump might finally get his parade. The U.S. Army is planning a big celebration to recognize not only the 250th anniversary of its founding, but also President Trump's 79th birthday, both of which fall on June 14. That celebration will potentially bring tanks and hundreds of other military vehicles and aircraft onto and over the streets of the nation's capital in June, according to three defense officials familiar with the planning. During Trump's first term, the president sought to have a big military parade, but the plans were shelved over cost and concerns that some of the military vehicles, particularly tracked vehicles like tanks, could significantly damage the streets of Washington, D.C. and incur a huge price tag for repairs. The estimate for the parade being planned now is 'tens of millions of dollars,' according to two of the defense officials. Trump didn't forget and now is considering a military parade to honor both birthdays. Current plans call for more than 150 military vehicles and 50 aircraft to rumble through a parade route through Washington on June 10, the three defense officials said. That could include Army wheeled vehicles, like Humvees and trucks, and so-called tracked vehicles, like tanks, two of the officials said. The aircraft will include CH-47 Chinook helicopters and UH 60 Black Hawk helicopters, two of the officials said. And the famed Golden Knights are expected to jump from above, land near the viewing stands, and deliver a flag to the VIPs, most likely Trump, two of the officials said. The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan for the tanks is not yet final. One option under consideration is to put the tanks on trailers, which would mitigate some of the damage to the streets, but that could also impact the aesthetics of the parade, officials said. They also plan to have a separate staging area for the heavy vehicles so they do not have to cross any of D.C.'s bridges, two of the officials said. The vehicles would roll down the streets of Washington in columns, the officials said, in a way that some critics of the planned parade in his first term compared to what is more typically seen in places like North Korea and Russia. For now, the plan is to have Bradley Fighting Vehicles, Stryker Armored Fighting Vehicles, the Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicles and more, the officials said. All the Army vehicles would be drawn from the Army's 10 divisions, brought in mostly via train from bases like Fort Bliss, Texas to Fort Drum, New York. Each division will dedicate between 200 and 400 people to the parade, the officials said. Under the current plan, some of the troops would sleep in government buildings, including the Department of Agriculture and U.S. General Services Administration buildings, according to two of the defense officials. Asked about the parade last month, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser confirmed that planning was in the early stages and that the Trump administration had reached out about it, but said she had not been directly involved yet. The parade theme will include U.S. wars throughout the Army's history and include soldiers marching in period uniforms, the officials explained. The plans are still evolving but the current early estimate is the parade and static displays in D.C. will cost as much as $45 million, according to two of the defense officials, who said that could change as planning continues. The final estimates from inside the Army are not yet complete as plans for the parade have not yet been fully approved by the White House and the Army, two of the officials said. Individual Army units will bear the ultimate cost of the parade, three of the officials said. In some cases, units would have to spend more than $1 million to participate. That could impact funds used for training, officials said. 'Could the parade potentially impact training? Absolutely,' said one of the defense officials. 'Will it impact training? That's unclear.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Equipment malfunction, dropped messages looked at by NTSB in midair crash near D.C.
The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into flight data discrepancies, potential altimeter malfunctions and a possible miscommunication with air traffic control in the midair collision of an Army helicopter and a commercial airplane last month in the deadliest U.S. air crash in almost a quarter century. 'We are looking at the possibility of there may be bad data,' NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference on Friday. 'We have a lot of work to do till we get to that.' The Jan. 29 collision near Washington, D.C., that killed everyone aboard the plane and in the helicopter, 67 people in all, has prompted fears of flying in the busy airspace above the nation's capital, which transports roughly 25 million people each year. The deadly accident has raised questions about whether helicopters — in particular military training flights — should be allowed to share such a narrow and busy airspace with commercial airplanes. It was the first major fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009. Video captured the moment the UH 60 Black Hawk crashed into American Eagle Flight 5342, the explosion lighting up the night sky as the aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River. More than two dozen people connected to the sport of figure skating, including many young Olympic hopefuls, were on the American Eagle flight traveling from Wichita, Kansas. Among the three Army soldiers who died on the Black Hawk was a 28-year-old helicopter repairer who leaves behind an 18-month-old son. Homendy said Friday the pilot flying the helicopter was on a 'combined annual and night vision goggle check ride.' Check rides are generally an exam pilots must pass to perform specific aircrew or mission duties. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, she said. Homendy noted that if the goggles had been removed, the crew was required to have a discussion about going unaided. 'There is no evidence on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of such a discussion,' she said at the news conference. Homendy noted that there has been some discrepancy in the altitude of the helicopter. At 8:43 p.m. ET, the pilot flying indicated they were at about 300 feet, but an instructor pilot indicated they were at about 400 feet. 'Neither pilot made a comment discussing an altitude discrepancy,' she said. 'At this time, we don't know why there was a discrepancy between the two. That's something the investigative team is analyzing.' The helicopter also may not have received crucial information from air traffic control before the collision, she said. At 8:46 p.m. a radio transmission from the tower was heard on the plane's cockpit voice recorder informing the helicopter that a plane at 1,200 feet was circling just south of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. But cockpit voice recorder data from the helicopter indicates that the portion of the transition about the plane 'may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew,' Homendy said. She said the words "circling" could be heard on air traffic control communications but not on the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder. The agency is investigating how that happened. The American Eagle plane was descending to land around 9 p.m. when the military chopper was shifting from one flight path to another, a common move often performed in the airspace. Seconds before the crash, the air traffic control tower had asked the Black Hawk whether it had the airplane in sight and advised it to directly pass behind the jet, audio from the tower shows. Homendy said based on the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder data 'a portion of the transmission that stated 'pass behind the' may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew.' 'Transmission was stepped on by a point eight-second mic key from the Black Hawk,' Homendy said, noting that the chopper's crew was trying to communicate with air traffic control at that time. An air traffic control supervisor in the tower at Reagan National had let a controller end their shift early, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed to NBC News. That left one controller to handle both plane and helicopter traffic in the area, which is allowed under FAA regulations but not typical for that time of day at Reagan. Officials say the Black Hawk was equipped with an advanced surveillance technology that helps the aircraft share more accurate data with air traffic controllers, known as an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS–B. Homendy said they could not say whether it was turned off. 'A lot of people are asking about was it turned off, there are other things we have to rule out first,' she said. The three Black Hawk crew members were experienced Army aviators from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, who were conducting a training flight, said Jonathan Koziol, a senior Army aviation adviser who's helping with the investigation. Capt. Rebecca Lobach, the flight's co-pilot, was undergoing the night portion of an annual evaluation to test a pilot's knowledge and proficiency in the cockpit, Koziol said. Lobach's unit in particular also has to be able to transport senior government officials out of the area without an instructor in the event of an emergency, Koziol added. Lobach, an aviation officer since 2019, had about 500 flying hours, which Koziol said was 'right on target.' Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves had double the amount, Koziol said. The Black Hawk crew members were also believed to be wearing night-vision goggles, Homendy said, meaning their field of view may have been restricted. 'We're going to have to see what was possible for them to see at the time leading up to the collision and the accident sequence,' she said. Night-vision goggles can help pilots navigate dark terrain and obstacles, but it is like 'looking through soda straws,' said Dean Winslow, a retired Air Force colonel and onboard physician, who is not involved in the investigation. Koziol said the pilots likely would not have needed to wear goggles while flying through well-lit areas by the airport, but that they likely would have needed to wear them while flying over the water. Aviation experts say accidents are rarely caused by a single issue. 'You have to have a chain of events that leads to this,' said Joe Nadock, who was an air traffic controller at Reagan National airport for about a dozen years. Nadock, who worked at Reagan from 1988 to 2000, said he and other air traffic controllers understood that the runway for helicopters and planes was narrow, but he did not recall hearing concerns or complaints about the path's configuration. 'We knew it was close, but you knew you had to do your job,' he said. Air traffic controllers have to act as soon as they see helicopters go above an altitude of 200 ft., which did sometimes happen, he said. 'You tell them to verify your altitude,' Nadock said. 'You tell them you're at the wrong altitude. Descend now.' Since the crash, the FAA said it has restricted helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport until it can review the findings of the NTSB investigation. The FAA also said it has started reviewing other airports with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic nearby, but insisted 'air travel is the safest mode of transportation.' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA needed to 'surge' more air traffic controllers 'into the system' and had a plan to do so. He also said officials have to 'remake our airspace,' including upgrading outdated technology. Meanwhile, after lawmakers raised concern about the appropriateness of conducting military training missions near a busy airport, Daniel Driscoll, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Army, said he planned to review the protocols. The crash came on the heels of the Army's highest number of serious aviation accidents, including fatalities, in a decade. This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-02-2025
- General
- NBC News
Equipment malfunction, dropped messages looked at by NTSB in midair crash near D.C.
The National Transportation Safety Board is looking into flight data discrepancies, potential altimeter malfunctions and a possible miscommunication with air traffic control in the midair collision of an Army helicopter and a commercial airplane last month in the deadliest U.S. air crash in almost a quarter century. 'We are looking at the possibility of there may be bad data,' NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news conference on Friday. 'We have a lot of work to do till we get to that.' The Jan. 29 collision near Washington, D.C., that killed everyone aboard the plane and in the helicopter, 67 people in all, has prompted fears of flying in the busy airspace above the nation's capital, which transports roughly 25 million people each year. The deadly accident has raised questions about whether helicopters — in particular military training flights — should be allowed to share such a narrow and busy airspace with commercial airplanes. It was the first major fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009. Video captured the moment the UH 60 Black Hawk crashed into American Eagle Flight 5342, the explosion lighting up the night sky as the aircraft plummeted into the Potomac River. More than two dozen people connected to the sport of figure skating, including many young Olympic hopefuls, were on the American Eagle flight traveling from Wichita, Kansas. Among the three Army soldiers who died on the Black Hawk was a 28-year-old helicopter repairer who leaves behind an 18-month-old son. Homendy said Friday the pilot flying the helicopter was on a 'combined annual and night vision goggle check ride.' Check rides are generally an exam pilots must pass to perform specific aircrew or mission duties. Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight, she said. Homendy noted that if the goggles had been removed, the crew was required to have a discussion about going unaided. 'There is no evidence on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of such a discussion,' she said at the news conference. Homendy noted that there has been some discrepancy in the altitude of the helicopter. At 8:43 p.m. ET, the pilot flying indicated they were at about 300 feet, but an instructor pilot indicated they were at about 400 feet. 'Neither pilot made a comment discussing an altitude discrepancy,' she said. 'At this time, we don't know why there was a discrepancy between the two. That's something the investigative team is analyzing.' The helicopter also may not have received crucial information from air traffic control before the collision, she said. At 8:46 p.m. a radio transmission from the tower was heard on the plane's cockpit voice recorder informing the helicopter that a plane at 1,200 feet was circling just south of the Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge. But cockpit voice recorder data from the helicopter indicates that the portion of the transition about the plane 'may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew,' Homendy said. She said the words "circling" could be heard on air traffic control communications but not on the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder. The agency is investigating how that happened. The American Eagle plane was descending to land around 9 p.m. when the military chopper was shifting from one flight path to another, a common move often performed in the airspace. Seconds before the crash, the air traffic control tower had asked the Black Hawk whether it had the airplane in sight and advised it to directly pass behind the jet, audio from the tower shows. Homendy said based on the helicopter's cockpit voice recorder data 'a portion of the transmission that stated 'pass behind the' may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew.' 'Transmission was stepped on by a point eight-second mic key from the Black Hawk,' Homendy said, noting that the chopper's crew was trying to communicate with air traffic control at that time. An air traffic control supervisor in the tower at Reagan National had let a controller end their shift early, a source familiar with the investigation confirmed to NBC News. That left one controller to handle both plane and helicopter traffic in the area, which is allowed under FAA regulations but not typical for that time of day at Reagan. Officials say the Black Hawk was equipped with an advanced surveillance technology that helps the aircraft share more accurate data with air traffic controllers, known as an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS–B. Homendy said they could not say whether it was turned off. 'A lot of people are asking about was it turned off, there are other things we have to rule out first,' she said. The three Black Hawk crew members were experienced Army aviators from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, who were conducting a training flight, said Jonathan Koziol, a senior Army aviation adviser who's helping with the investigation. Capt. Rebecca Lobach, the flight's co-pilot, was undergoing the night portion of an annual evaluation to test a pilot's knowledge and proficiency in the cockpit, Koziol said. Lobach's unit in particular also has to be able to transport senior government officials out of the area without an instructor in the event of an emergency, Koziol added. Lobach, an aviation officer since 2019, had about 500 flying hours, which Koziol said was 'right on target.' Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves had double the amount, Koziol said. The Black Hawk crew members were also believed to be wearingnight-vision goggles, Homendy said, meaning their field of view may have been restricted. 'We're going to have to see what was possible for them to see at the time leading up to the collision and the accident sequence,' she said. Night-vision goggles can help pilots navigate dark terrain and obstacles, but it is like 'looking through soda straws,' said Dean Winslow, a retired Air Force colonel and onboard physician, who is not involved in the investigation. Koziol said the pilots likely would not have needed to wear goggles while flying through well-lit areas by the airport, but that they likely would have needed to wear them while flying over the water. Aviation experts say accidents are rarely caused by a single issue. 'You have to have a chain of events that leads to this,' said Joe Nadock, who was an air traffic controller at Reagan National airport for about a dozen years. Nadock, who worked at Reagan from 1988 to 2000, said he and other air traffic controllers understood that the runway for helicopters and planes was narrow, but he did not recall hearing concerns or complaints about the path's configuration. 'We knew it was close, but you knew you had to do your job,' he said. Air traffic controllers have to act as soon as they see helicopters go above an altitude of 200 ft., which did sometimes happen, he said. 'You tell them to verify your altitude,' Nadock said. 'You tell them you're at the wrong altitude. Descend now.' Since the crash, the FAA said it has restricted helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport until it can review the findings of the NTSB investigation. The FAA also said it has started reviewing other airports with high volumes of mixed helicopter and airplane traffic nearby, but insisted 'air travel is the safest mode of transportation.' Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA needed to 'surge' more air traffic controllers 'into the system' and had a plan to do so. He also said officials have to 'remake our airspace,' including upgrading outdated technology. Meanwhile, after lawmakers raised concern about the appropriateness of conducting military training missions near a busy airport, Daniel Driscoll, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Army, said he planned to review the protocols. The crash came on the heels of the Army's highest number of serious aviation accidents, including fatalities, in a decade.
