Army investigators are taking over the investigation of a downed California National Guard helicopter in Otay Mesa today. All military choppers in the area are grounded for at least 72 hours. KPBS Radio’s Andrew Phelps has more.
An Army aviation team from Fort Rutger, Alabama, is investigating the crash of the “Huey” helicopter earlier this week. Four National Guard crew members were escorting five border agents to the rocky cliffs of Otay Mountain. Everyone onboard survived. National Guard Captain Mike Morgan says five of the crew members are still hospitalized with “moderate to serious” injuries – none life-threatening. Morgan says this crash is a blemish on a good safety record.
Morgan: They’ve had, I think they actually counted them up, there’s a little over 300 different type of missions in that area. This is the first incident in six months in over 300 missions. So safety-wise, we’re very well above average.
All National Guard helicopters in the area are grounded while the investigation continues. It’s not clear when the findings will come out. For KPBS, I’m Andrew Phelps.
