(DailyAnswer.org) – A flight instructor died in a tragic helicopter accident in Alabama after the vehicle crashed, injuring a student pilot in Army training.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, a helicopter crashed at Fort Novosel, leaving an instructor dead and one student pilot injured. According to John Crawley, the Dale County Coroner, the helicopter was an AH-64 Apache and it went down during a routine training session.
Only two people were onboard the flight. The passenger was a student pilot who suffered minor injuries and survived. The pilot, an Army instructor, perished while administering his lesson.
Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, who serves as the commanding general at the US Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Novosel, released a statement about the incident and said the primary concern of the academy was “the welfare and health” of the student who survived and “concern” for the deceased’s family, although the incident remains under investigation to determine exactly what went wrong.
The identity of the dead instructor pilot was later revealed to be 46-year-old Daniel Munger, a retired Army officer who worked as a contracted instructor for the base. The student pilot was airlifted from the scene, then taken for medical treatment and reported to be in stable condition.
Republican Rep. Barry Moore of Alabama posted a statement on social media about the accident and said he and his family were “heartbroken” by the news. Moore said they were “praying for a swift recovery” for the injured student and “for comfort” for Munger’s family.
Republican Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, both of Alabama, also expressed condolences to Munger’s family and well-wishes for the US Army student in recovery from the tragic accident.
Britt called Munger’s death “a heartbreaking loss” for the state and shared her condolences with the Fort Novosel community. Tuberville said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of the crash and called on others to join him and his family in prayer and mourning for the friends and family of Munger.
Formerly Fort Rucker, the since-renamed Fort Novosel is the main location for training helicopter pilots for the US Army.
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