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One Injured After Navy Helicopter Crash Lands in Virginia

A Navy Seahawk helicopter crash-landed in coastal Virginia today (1/12) around 11:30 a.m. According to military and state officials, one person was hurt during the crash. The Virginia State Police said that one person from the helicopter crew was sent to the hospital for minor injuries.

A Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesperson commented on the crash. “We can confirm that a Navy MH-60S helicopter experienced a hard landing in a field in the vicinity of Smithfield, Va.,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Myers. “Initial information indicates that first responders are on scene and that three personnel are being assessed for non-life-threatening injuries.”

A “hard crash” is when the pilot is only partly in control of the aircraft. The vessel then lands with more force and speed than it normally would. The Navy helicopter hit multiple trees during the hard crash. The helicopter was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 26. It was operating out of Naval Station Norfolk, which is 30 miles away from the crash site of Smithfield. Myers reports that the helicopter crash is under investigation at this time.

A Helicopter Crash Adds to Tragedy of Argentina Wildfires

At the end of 2021, two people died in a helicopter crash near the Patagonia area of Argentina. The two onboard were the pilot and a mechanic. The copter was a government-contracted aircraft that was being used to fight wildfires. The crew was part of a large group fighting fires in the Nahuel Huapi National Park. 200 fire brigades and a dozen aircraft were part of the firefighting group. The blaze burned more than 9,900 acres. Officials declared a fire emergency for the area.

According to the fire emergency statement, fires like this might become more common. “We are facing a scenario that may tend to recur over time, that is to say, a period of prolonged droughts and of running dry seasons throughout the year,” the statement said. It also mentioned that the blaze was probably caused by climate change.

Climate Change is Affecting Global Weather

The NOAA has studied the number of weather events that have occurred in the US over a five-year period. The report has some expensive and alarming information. Argentina isn’t the only place that is anticipating more wildfires as time goes on. Western states in the US are also preparing for increased droughts, heatwaves, and blazes.

NOAA says that 2021 was the fourth hottest year on record. All six of the hottest years on record have been within the last decade. As temperatures rise globally, so does the risk of bad weather. NOAA has been keeping weather data for over 100 years. In the US alone, severe weather has cost us over $700 billion. Since 2017, storms have caused $742 billion in damage. Split evenly, that averages out to around $148 billion per year.