Kathmandu— A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter went down during a routine training flight near Golden Gate Canyon State Park in Colorado on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said. The aircraft, carrying four crew members, crashed on the east side of Thorodin Mountain in Gilpin County, west of Denver. Emergency responders reported no injuries to those onboard and confirmed there was no fuel leak or fire posing a threat to the surrounding community. The incident occurred amid increasing concerns about the safety record of U.S. Army helicopters.

Crash Details and Unit Identification

The downed Black Hawk belongs to the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the “Night Stalkers,” and had flown from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Footage from the scene showed the helicopter upright among trees with significant damage to its rotor blades. The Army has characterized the event as an aviation mishap and stated that a full investigation is underway.

Recent History of Military Helicopter Accidents

This incident follows a pattern of increased accidents within the U.S. Army’s aviation fleet. Last September, another MH-60M Black Hawk crashed during nighttime training in Washington state, resulting in the deaths of all four soldiers aboard. A particularly devastating crash occurred on January 29, 2025, when an Army UH-60L Black Hawk collided with a commercial airliner near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing all 67 people involved – the deadliest U.S. aviation accident since 2001.

Rising Accident Rates Prompt Scrutiny

Internal Pentagon data reviewed last year revealed a significant increase in Class A mishaps—the military’s most serious category of aviation accidents—rising by 55% between 2020 and 2024. Recent Army figures indicate the problem persists, with CNN reporting Monday that AH-64 Apache attack helicopters are currently crashing at a historically high rate. The outlet calculated a crash rate of approximately 6.24 major crashes per 100,000 flying hours in fiscal year 2026 based on internal Army safety data.

Ongoing Investigation

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of Tuesday’s Black Hawk crash. The Army has not yet released any preliminary findings regarding potential mechanical issues or other contributing factors.

The investigation into the Colorado crash is ongoing, and further details are expected to be released as they become available.

(With inputs from RT)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.