Two Blackhawk helicopters belonging to the Utah National Guard crashed Tuesday morning during a training exercise, officials said.
The choppers went down near the popular Snowbird ski resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon, about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
No major injuries were reported.
Jared Jones, chief warrant officer 5 with the Utah National Guard, said at a press conference that the helicopters were attempting to land during routine survivability and mobility mountain training.
“As they landed, the snow kicked up and the aircraft probably lost sight of the ground,” Jones said. “We know there were portions of the rotor blade that separated from the helicopter and struck the second helicopter.”
Jones added that no fuel leaked.
“It was a blessing that everyone was okay,” Jones said of the crew.
Mineral Basin is the southeast face of Snowbird resort, featuring multiple double black diamond-level slopes for advanced skiers and snowboarders.
The Utah National Guard canceled training flights after the Tuesday crash pending a safety review, NBC affiliate KSL in Salt Lake City reported.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
