The ‘apocalypse’ mission of the helicopter unit in the Washington aviation tragedy

The crew on the UH-60 Black Hawk in the aviation tragedy at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the night of January 29, including a captain, a sergeant and a military commissioner “rehearsing the annual flying night training Standard belt for the mission to maintain the government, “according to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the White House press conference a day later.

“Maintenance mission” is the call of the American Army for an emergency evacuation plan for senior officials and legislators from Washington in emergency situations, including the scenario of the Capital. Large -scale public or serious security crisis. This is a measure to maintain the country’s leadership and management apparatus even in the worst situations.

Three dharma officers were all belonging to the Bravo Company, the 12th Air Force Battalion, belonging to the Army Air Brigade (TAAB) at the Fort Belvoir base, Virginia.

One of the key tasks of the unit is to shuttle VIP airspace (NCR) by VH -60 White Hawk helicopter squads that have been adjusted and painted in yellow – black.

They also operate the standard UH-60 Black Hawk and the UH-72 Lakota light multipurpose helicopter. These are often mobilized to support civil agencies in the capital or transport the 911 army company, the rescue unit of the US Army in Washington.

“The No. 12 Air Battalion has assigned special tasks in NCR. In addition to the VIP flights to take senior officials in the region, they also have the duty to support the Ministry of Defense if the serious incident occurs and Need to evacuate senior leaders, “said Jonathan Koziol, an official in the General Staff of the Air Force of the US Army.

In the scenario of the US capital, there is a large -scale attack, a natural disaster or a serious crisis, the battalion will send a helicopter to the White House, the Pentagon and Capitol hill to evacuate political people to the shelter. Like David camp in Marryland, Mount Weather Emergency Executive Center in Virginia, Raven Rock military complex in Pennsylvania or other secret locations.

The 12th Battalion is not the only unit responsible for evacuating weaknesses in an emergency situation. When the worst scenario occurred, the No. 1 helicopter of the US Air Force, stationed at the Andrews Air Base on the outskirts of Washington, can mobilize UH-1N Huey helicopters to support. The helicopter 1 of the Marines (HMX-1), stationed at Quantico base in Virginia, can also be mobilized.

Members of these units must be ready to act at all times and in all circumstances. They need to prepare for the evacuation scenario in the night, for situations of the capital that the power goes out on a large scale and the crew must use the night glass, as well as the situation of Washington being attacked by nuclear, chemical or biology and Military personnel must have bulky protection equipment.

In order to ensure the act of mastering and quickly when receiving orders, these units must rehearse regularly with the actual context, navigation in urban terrain and elements that cannot be simulated on the field.

Scott Dunham, former investigator of the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSB), said that the collision between the UH-60 Black Hawk and the aircraft carrying 64 people on January 29 is near one of the pepper routes The standard of the army on the East bank of the Potomac River. Jeff Guzzetti, former NTSB investigator and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said the helicopter was always allowed to fly low in this corridor.

The military has a mechanism to coordinate with local agencies to ensure flight safety, with the belt and roadmap for the drills along the Potomac river, one of the most crowded and complex sky in the US. .

“The 12th battalion pilot is required to understand the terrain, the context of the road traffic and the roadmap to ensure safe shuttle shuttle of senior leaders. They undergo continuous training,” Koziol emphasized.