Vern Evans
A National Guard helicopter attempting to deliver hurricane assistance to people in western North Carolina earlier this week instead blew away goods and resources with its rotor wash.
The North Carolina National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter attempted to drop off generators at a local civilian organization, according to the North Carolina National Guard, but as it hovered over a people-dense area, powerful wind from its propellers sent a flurry of objects below flying.
“The crew immediately identified the situation, aborted the landing for safety reasons, and departed the area,” the North Carolina National Guard said in a statement on social media Tuesday. The event is under investigation and the crew is grounded until the investigation is completed, the statement said.
The Guard said it was working with the civilian organization affected by the event to identify any damage that occurred as a result.
“Safety is the NCNG’s number one priority, especially with the high volume of air operations currently happening across the region,” the statement said. “While the NCNG strives for precision in every mission, sometimes things don’t go as planned.”
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Videos circulating on local media outlets and online show a helicopter hovering loudly over what appears to be a volunteer supply area in a parking lot. The helicopter descends for several seconds before its rotor wash begins hurling debris from the site into the air. Large tents are flung through the air and people flee.
“That was a North Carolina National Guard helicopter, it’s under our command, and I’ll take responsibility for it and we own it,” said Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the adjutant general of the North Carolina National Guard, in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.
He said the helicopter abandoned the mission to deliver the generator after realizing there were too many people in the vicinity for a safe landing.
As of Sunday, 1,700 North Carolina National Guard personnel were assisting search and rescue efforts in the region, according to a press release from the office of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
Riley Ceder is an editorial fellow at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice and human interest stories. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the ongoing Abused by the Badge investigation.
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