The UH-1N flew 10 miles northwest of Manassas on a routine training mission at an altitude of 1,000 feet when the incident occurred. It landed safely at Manassas Regional Airport west of Washington, DC, and the pilot was taken to the hospital where they were treated and released, the official said.
The incident is now being investigated under FBI and Air Force investigation to determine if the helicopter was deliberately hit or if someone accidentally shot into the air. The plane will be closely inspected for other damage, the official added.
Airport operations official Richard Allabaugh said his air traffic control was alerted to a “boarding incident on a military helicopter that had crashed.”
Paramedics were called to the airport.
The US Air Force 316th wing only confirmed that an incident occurred and that the helicopter made an emergency landing on Monday.
“A UH-1N Huey helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews made an emergency landing at 10:43 a.m. on August 10 in Manassas, Va during a routine training mission,” the statement read.
“The Office of Special Investigations is fully engaged with our FBI colleagues on this incident. OSI takes threats to our Airmen and our resources very seriously. As this is an ongoing investigation, no further investigation data can be released at this time,” it added. .
“On Monday, August 10, at approximately 12:00 p.m., the FBI sent Washington Field Office (WFO) Special Agents and their Evidence Response Team to Manassas Airport after receiving reports that a helicopter had been hit on the ground nearby. shots, “the FBI Washington Field Office said in a statement to CNN.
“WFO is working with our law enforcement partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. One individual in the helicopter sustained a non-threatening injury, for which he was treated and subsequently released from ‘ the hospital The FBI requests that anyone in the vicinity of this area at the time of the incident who may have information call the FBI at 202-278-2000, “they added.
CNN’s Christina Carrega and Greg Wallace contributed to this report.
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