Army says pilots in fatal Oahu crash were disoriented

HONOLULU — An Army investigation into a fatal helicopter crash found the pilots became disoriented during nighttime training off Oahu last year. All five soldiers on board were killed in the Aug. 15, 2017, crash.

The pilots experienced “spatial disorientation,” which is when a pilot can’t determine a current position and altitude relative to the earth’s surface, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Friday. The newspaper obtained the results of the investigation through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The crash occurred off Oahu’s Kaena Point after the helicopter and an accompanying chopper left Wheeler Army Airfield for night-vision goggle training.

The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama, conducted the investigation. The Army is also working on a second investigation it will make public.

Read more: http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2018/09/07/hawaii-news/army-says-pilots-in-fatal-oahu-crash-were-disoriented/