Aviation

Hunter Army Airfield Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk Crash

No longer accepting claims for this case

  • Location: Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Ga.
  • Date: Jan. 15, 2014
  • Aircraft: Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk

Motley Rice’s aviation team, including aviation attorneys Mary Schiavo and James Brauchle, represents the family of a soldier who tragically died Jan. 15, 2014 when the U.S. Army-owned Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter he was co-piloting malfunctioned and crashed during a training flight at Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Ga. Two others onboard, the helicopter’s pilot and a crew member, suffered serious injuries and are also represented by Motley Rice.

Black Hawk Malfunction

An Army investigation into the fatal Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crash determined that a tail rotor malfunction caused the aircraft to spin out of control and crash, killing the flight’s 30-year-old co-pilot. An improperly torqued spanner nut and a missing cotter pin resulted in the loss of tail rotor authority, causing the helicopter to enter an unrecoverable spin, and the aircraft to fall uncontrollably into the ground, the investigation found.

The three soldiers onboard the helicopter were assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, an elite unit that trains soldiers to fly helicopters behind enemy lines. 

The lawsuit seeks to hold accountable Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Cubic Defense Applications, Prototype Engineering, BAE Systems and L-3 Communications accountable, all of which allegedly contributed to the crash.

Contact an Aviation Attorney

If you or someone you love was injured in a helicopter crash, you may contact Motley Rice aviation attorney and former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo or aviation attorney James Brauchle by email.

Read More

The Associated Press (Sept. 8, 2014) — Lawsuit filed in fatal Hunter Army Airfield Helicopter Crash
USA Today (Jan. 16, 2014) — 1 killed as Army helicopter makes ‘hard landing’

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