Summary
- When an AH-64 Apache crashes in Fort Novosel, the flight instructor is killed and the student pilot is injured.
- The cause of the crash is currently being investigated and training flights at the base are continuing.
- Although there have been accidents involving helicopters in the past, they continue to be of crucial importance in military operations.
One person was killed and another injured in a helicopter crash during a training flight in Alabama. The crash of the AH-64 Apache – the cause of which is still under investigation – resulted in the death of the flight instructor on board.
One fatality in AH-64 Apache crash
According to an AP News report, the crash of the Boeing AH-64 Apache occurred on Wednesday at around 1:40 p.m. local time during a routine training flight at the Fort Novosel military base, about 150 km south of Montgomery, Alabama. A statement from the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel confirmed that flight instructor Daniel Munger (46) was killed in the crash, while a US Army cadet suffered minor injuries and was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital.
Photo: United States Army
Major General Clair A. Gill of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and commanding general of Fort Novosel commented:
“The flight instructor, a contract worker, underwent medical examination on site and has passed away. Our primary concern is the well-being and health of the student pilot, as well as the care and concern for the family of the deceased.”
Munger was a retired Army Chief Warrant 3 (CW3) officer but continued to conduct training as a contractor. Military officials have not yet released an update on the cause of the crash, which was described as a “mishap,” because the investigation is ongoing. For now, the base will continue to conduct training flights pending further clarification.
Fort Novosel is the US Army’s main training facility for helicopter pilots. It was formerly called Fort Rucker and was renamed in 2023 after Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Michael J. Novosel. In addition to the AH-64 Apache, the CH-47 Chinook and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk are also trained as helicopters at the base.
Apache crash history
The AH-64 Apache has unfortunately been involved in several accidents in recent years, including a spectacular mid-air collision over Alaska in April 2023 that killed three people. In March of this year, two AH-64 Apaches crashed in the same month – one in Washington and the other in Fort Carson, Colorado – with all crew surviving. Just a month earlier, two pilots were killed in Mississippi after consecutive Apache crashes, prompting the Army National Guard to briefly ground the helicopter.
Related
Modern attack helicopter: 5 things you didn’t know about the Boeing AH-64 Apache
Since 1987, the Apaches have played a key role in conflicts around the world.
Home to hundreds of Apache helicopters, Fort Novosel, or Fort Rucker as it was then known, has also been the scene of crashes of this type. According to a report by CBS42, the most recent one occurred in 2022 near Ozark, injuring two crew members.
The twin-turbine Apache attack helicopter has been in service for nearly four decades and has seen plenty of action over the years. It was a key part of Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and was also used extensively in Afghanistan.
