UH-60 Black Hawk Helicopter Crash Lawyer

The UH-60 Black Hawk is a twin-engine, four-blade helicopter that entered service in the United States Army in 1979. While the Sikorsky UH-60 has since become a workhorse for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, crashes happen every year, causing severe injuries and deaths.

Under the Feres Doctrine, the U.S. government has sovereign immunity from lawsuits filed by military service members and their families. However, Army Soldiers or other military personnel, and their families may be able to pursue a claim against government contractors if defective design, manufacturing, or maintenance failures caused or contributed to a military aviation accident.

If you or a family member have been harmed in a Black Hawk helicopter accident, it is in your best interest to speak with an experienced military lawyer to discuss your potential case. Wisner Baum’s lead military attorney Timothy A. Loranger is a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran who has successfully resolved numerous military accident cases, resulting in significant compensation for his clients. These legal victories not only amounted to monetary recoveries; they also sent a strong message to government contractors—if you cut corners on safety and endanger the lives of military service members, you will be held responsible.

If you or a family member were harmed in a military helicopter crash and would like to speak with an experienced lawyer about your case, please contact us or call  (855) 948-5098 today.

Sikorsky Black Hawk Helicopter

The Sikorsky Black Hawk Helicopter has seen heavy use in the U.S. military since the late 1970s. When the UH-60A entered service, it replaced the Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter as the Army’s tactical transport helicopter.

Sikorsky subsequently developed the UH-60L and the UH-60M utility variants, and other branches of the Armed Forces went on to use modified versions of the UH-60. More than 4,000 Black Hawk helicopters are in service today in the U.S. and 28 other countries. The U.S. Army is the largest Black Hawk helicopter operator globally, with 2,135 in its fleet.

Black Hawk Crashes

The UH-60 and its military variants have crashed many times over the years. Between 1981 and 1984, Black Hawk helicopters crashed 16 times, killing 22 people. In 1985, the U.S. Army briefly grounded the Black Hawk after six crashes over four months caused 15 deaths. The most serious crash of the time, a March 13, 1985 crash at Fort Bragg, killed eight soldiers and four crewmen.

Decades later, concerns about Black Hawk helicopter safety remain as crashes and incidents continue to happen with striking regularity. Between December of 2019 and March of 2023, at least 10 Black Hawk crashes on U.S. soil have resulted in military fatalities.

As of March 2023, Aviation Safety Network lists 390 total incidents involving Black Hawk helicopters (including variants). ASN data lists 970 deaths in Black Hawk helicopter crashes.

The following recent Black Hawk helicopter accidents resulted in U.S. military deaths:

• March 2023: Nine US service members were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the 101st Airborne Division crashed in southwestern Kentucky. There were no survivors in what has become the deadliest helicopter training accident since a 2015 Black Hawk crash in Florida that killed 11 service members.
• February 2023: A Tennessee National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training flight in Alabama, killing CWO3 Daniel Wadham, 39, and CWO3 Danny Randolph, 40.
• February 2021: A UH-60 helicopter crashed outside of Boise, Idaho, killing three Idaho Army National Guard soldiers.