Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio
The Idaho Army National Guard has identified the three pilots killed Tuesday when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise near Lucky Peak.
The soldiers killed were Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse Anderson, 43; Chief Warrant Officer 3 George “Geoff” Laubhan, 39; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Peltzer, 43.
“The sudden and tragic loss of three of our fellow Guardsmen is extremely heartbreaking to every member of our Idaho National Guard family,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho and commander of the Idaho National Guard.
“I have received numerous messages of condolence from many people here in Idaho and throughout the nation, and all of your thoughts, prayers and support are sincerely appreciated and much needed” he said. “It is very comforting, at such a challenging time, to have the care and support of so many.”
Idaho National Guard Identifies 3 Soldiers Killed in Black Hawk Crash
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse Anderson, 43 (left); Chief Warrant Officer 3 George “Geoff” Laubhan, 39 (center); and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Peltzer, 43 (right). (Images courtesy of U.S. Army)
4 Feb 2021
The Idaho National Guard on Thursday released the names of three soldiers killed Tuesday night when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in bad weather over mountainous terrain.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse Anderson and CW3 George Geoff Laubhan and Matthew Peltzer died during a routine training mission, according to an Idaho Guard news release.
There were no other personnel aboard the aircraft.
All of the soldiers were pilots with experience in flying missions in adverse weather conditions, but the cause of the crash is unknown and remains under investigation, Idaho Guard officials said.
The three Guard members were participating in a routine training flight when their UH-60 Black Hawk crashed.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined but officials say the guardsmen were flying in rough terrain and bad weather.
Lt. Col. Nicole Washington said, “So the aircraft itself – not any particular safety measures but all the pilots were wearing night-vision goggles, which is, which allows them to see better at night last night. Even with their goggles, the illumination was pretty low, so it would have made it a lot more difficult, and you combine that with bad weather snow precipitation. You know it can cause quickly deteriorating conditions.”
Idaho Guard Halts Flight Operations After Black Hawk Crash in Bad Weather Kills 3
Idaho Army National Guard crewmembers fly a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter into the sunset and the dark hours of the night, conducting night training on July 21, 2020 near Gowen Field in Boise, Idaho. (U.S. Air National Guard/Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur)
3 Feb 2021
The Idaho ArmyNational Guard announced Wednesday that it has suspended flight operations after one of its UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed Tuesday night in bad weather, killing all three pilots aboard. As of right now, our flight operations have ceased, Lt. Col. Nicole Washington, commander of the Idaho Guard s 1st Battalion, 183rd Aviation Regiment, told reporters Wednesday afternoon. We can t speculate; we don t know the cause of the accident, whether it was weather-related, maintenance-related or something else happened. At this point, there is a lot unknown.