As could well be expected, fury resulted from a series of videos showing a military helicopter, a UH-60 Blackhawk, hovering over a relief aid station in western North Carolina and, with its rotor wash, destroying the station and supplies. There was some degree of controversy over to whom the helicopter belonged, with some thinking it was a Connecticut National Guard helicopter. However, the correct identity was soon traced to North Carolina.
Initially, it was believed that the helicopter belonged to the Connecticut Army National Guard. That belief was thanks, in part, to the popular X account Amuse. It drew attention to an identification of the helicopter involved, writing, “DISASTER RELIEF? There were a number of videos taken in the last few days that showed military helicopters hovering over civilian aid operations causing disruption, damage, and injuries.”
Continuing, Amuse pointed the blame at Connecticut, writing, “It is unclear if these incidents were accidental or intentional. @TonySeruga tracked down the Black Hawk helicopter seen in the video below. It belongs to the Connecticut Army National Guard.” For reference, the helicopter was an NC National Guard Blackhawk, not a Connecticut National Guard helicopter.
Amuse later posted an update that read, “The Black Hawk crew from the CT National Guard has been grounded as the incident in NC is under investigation.” That update referenced a statement from the North Carolina National Guard regarding the incident, which explained what happened and noted that the crew had been grounded, though the statement provides that the helicopter was from the NC, not CT, National Guard.
So, it appears that both of those updates were somewhat incorrect, as it was not a Connecticut National Guard helicopter but a North Carolinian one. “The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) is aware of an incident involving a NCNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a delivery of generators at the request of a local civilian organization to power their distribution outpost in western North Carolina,” a statement from the North Carolina National Guard read.
Similarly, the Connecticut National Guard posted about the matter on X, noting that the helicopter was not one of its own. It said, “UPDATE: The initial investigation indicates the helicopter in the video belongs to the North Carolina National Guard. The pilots have been grounded until a further investigation can be completed.”
A follow-up tweet did note, however, that there are CTNG resources in the area providing aid, including aircrews. It said, “The CTNG is proud to be able to continue serving alongside our NG brothers and sisters to bring relief to the effected regions in North Carolina. To date, our crews have helped move 270,000 lbs. of cargo and 102 civilians. #AlwaysReadyAlwaysThere”
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Similarly, the NC National Guard X account tweeted that the helicopter belonged to it, writing, “The North Carolina National Guard (NCNG) is aware of an incident involving a NCNG UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a delivery of generators at the request of a local civilian organization to power their distribution outpost in western North Carolina.”
Watch the incident here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video