Australian Grounding Of Sikorsky Black Hawk Highlights Recurrent Safety Events

After identifying a number of fractured bolts in the Australian Army’s Sikorsky Black Hawk Helicopters during a routine maintenance check, the Australian Department of Defense has suspended flying operations on January 23. Only three Army Black Hawks, assigned to the Joint Task Force 631, for aero-medical evacuations for International Stabilisation Force remain operational in Timor Leste during the temporary suspension. It is still unclear how long the suspension is expected to last. According to an Australian Army press release quoting Colonel Stephen Evans, Acting Director General Aviation, the suspension was to “ensure safety and is consistent with Army Operational Airworthiness procedures” pending an investigation. This wouldn’t be the first time the reputed Sikorsky Black Hawk Helicopters have been faced with malfunctions and mechanical failures. Over the last few years, the Black Hawks have been increasingly plagued by malfunctions that have cost the lives of soldiers and millions of dollars in accidents. The United States Army was already well aware that their most advanced helicopter could be taken down by a simple radio wave. The Pentagon made the discovery after investigators found that radio waves from microwave towers, radio antennas, and radars could knock the choppers out of the sky. The investigation came after five of the Army's UH-60 Black Hawks nosedived into the ground since 1982, killing 22 servicemen. In response to the Army's 1972 requirement for a simple, robust, and reliable Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System, the Sikorsky Model S-70 was developed to replace UH-1 Iroquois. Safety events. 2007-Mechanical failure was blamed after 14 American soldiers were killed after their UH-60 chopper crashed in Northern Iraq. 2009- Four on board a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter were killed when the military chopper crashed on Colorado's second-highest peak knows as Mount Massive. 2011- During the raid on Bin Laden’s compound a modified UH-60 Black Hawk chopper skittered around uncontrollably because of the hot weather forcing the pilot to land and abandon the chopper. 2011- A Thai army Black Hawk helicopter with 14 people on board, including the commander of the 9th Infantry Division, crashed inside Myanmar leaving just one survivor. 2011- A Black Hawk helicopter crashed in a southwest Germany forest killing two people. The cause of the crash is unknown. By Syed Sabeel