An internal investigation reveals a U.S. Army helicopter that released fuel over neighborhoods in Tempe and Phoenix did so intentionally to reduce weight so the aircraft could be airlifted out of state.
On Feb. 5, fire crews from Phoenix and Tempe responded to reports of a low-flying helicopter spilling fuel in the area of Priest Drive and 10th Street and Sixth Street and Wilson Street. When they arrived, they found dry petroleum residue on vehicles parked nearby.
An U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed an Army helicopter was releasing fuel because of a maintenance issue and an intentional release by the pilot, and the fuel residue seen on cars was likely caused by that release.
The helicopter departed from the Papago Park Arizona National Guard base in Tempe before landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport approximately 10 minutes into the flight.
According to the AR 15-6 safety investigation report obtained exclusively by KJZZ, the United States Army MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter had been grounded due to maintenance issues prior to the incident, and needed to be transported back to Tacoma, Wash., for repairs.
The unit — the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment — had initially considered transporting the aircraft on a truck trailer, but it would take up to three weeks.
But a U.S. Air Force C-17 — a large cargo jet capable of carrying heavy payloads — was in the area and had a recent mission canceled, making it available for a strategic airlift — known as a STRAT.
The C-17 was only available on Feb. 6, so the Army needed to get the helicopter to Sky Harbor and folded for transport on a tight deadline.
The helicopter was too heavy to be transported inside the C-17 because of the fuel in its tanks, and neither Papago Park nor Sky Harbor had defueling capabilities.
The report said the Army needed to move the helicopter on the night of Feb. 5, decided it would dump gas, and “just left it at that.”
The Army determined it was safe to do a “one-time evacuation flight” from Papago Park to Sky Harbor, and dumped fuel to cut weight en route.
The report said crews believed they had enough altitude so that there would be no negative impacts from the fuel dump, but could not recall what altitude they were at, and said they did not realize they were over populated areas.
The quantity of fuel released and at what altitude was redacted from the report. The Army said it was “not much” due to the short flight time and the helicopter having “plenty” of fuel when it landed, according to the Tempe Fire Department’s report.
The report concludes crews did not follow protocol and skipped or accelerated necessary steps due to time constraints.
“The isolated action to dump fuel over a populated area at an altitude [redacted] is inexcusable and [redacted] never gave guidance to do that,” the report said.
The report said there is no precedent set that would make it acceptable to dump fuel over a populated area at a low altitude and place civilians in harm’s way.
The report also confirms one resident on the ground self-transported to the hospital due to injuries from the incident.
The Army said individuals who have been affected can file a claim with the Fort Huachuca Claims Office by calling 520-533-2212.
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