An Air Force UH-1N Huey helicopter crashed on a routine training flight from Kirtland AFB, N.M. The aircrew, assigned to the base’s 58th Special Operations Wing, escaped the wreckage unscathed before flames consumed the helicopter just before noon local time on Wednesday, reported KRQE News in Albuquerque. The helicopter impacted a slope on Hidden Mountain, roughly 25 miles southwest of Kirtland, due west of Los Lunas, N.M. According to KRQE’s report, two instructor pilots, a flight engineer instructor, and student were conducting combat search and rescue training at the time of the crash. The Air Force is convening a board of inquiry to investigate the cause of the mishap.
While the Space Force is still making long-term plans to establish high-fidelity live and virtual test and training ranges in the coming years, officials say they're also working with operators to identify near-term gaps and quickly field capabilities to address them.
