Snowbird skiers got a little more than they bargained for on Tuesday, February 22, when two Utah National Guard Blackhawk helicopters collided as they were attempting to land near the ski area’s Mineral Basin. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the accident and the pilots were able to take Snowbird’s tram down the mountain to be checked out by medical professionals.
While all of the details are not quite straightened out, it is assumed that when the first helicopter was attempting to land the new layer of fresh snow was kicked up and caused both chopper pilots to lose sight of their surroundings. As the first helicopter approached the ground, a blade detached and struck the second military bird—causing both to crash. While it’s certainly not everyday that skiers and military helicopters convene in the same place, we hope this near-tragic accident doesn’t repeat itself any time soon.
