Army’s Decision To Ground Apache Helicopters Provides Key Crisis Management Lessons

The Army’s decision on Friday to temporarily ground most of its Apache helicopters in the aftermath of a deadly crash in Alaska provides important lessons about crisis management.

“The deadly collision comes less than a month after nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a nighttime training mission near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the Army said. The cause of the crash is under investigation,” CNN reported.

“The order by Army Chief of Staff James McConville grounds all Army aviators except those on critical missions until they do training, the Army said in a statement,” NBC News reported.

The Army’s response to the latest crash provides several critical crisis management and crisis communication lessons for business executives.

Know When To Act

Depending on the nature of the crisis, it can be a tough call to decide when to respond. Is the incident rare and likely not to be repeated, or is it part of a pattern that could continue?

In the case of the Army’s Apache helicopters, 12 soldiers have been killed in helicopter crashes since March, according to NBC News. But it was not until the latest crash in Alaska that the Army decided to temporarily ground the helicopters.

Prioritize

In any crisis, it is important to prioritize the steps that are or will be taken to address the situation.

“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” McConville said in a statement.

Aviators participating in “critical missions,” however, will continue flying during the stand down, the Army said.

Provide Support

Do what’s necessary to provide aid, comfort, and support to those affected by the crisis.

The Anchorage Daily News reported that “The battalion involved in the crash was not flying Friday to allow members to cope with the aftermath, according to John Pennell, a spokesman for U.S. Army Alaska.

“Unit leadership is meeting with all of its its personnel and their families at Fort Wainwright,” Pennell said. “They’re beginning the grieving process and ... explaining what resources are available to the families going forward.”

Explain Next Steps

Don’t leave it to others to guess or speculate what will be done to ensure the crisis is not repeated.

“During this stand down, we will focus on safety and training protocols to ensure our pilots and crews have the knowledge, training and awareness to safely complete their assigned mission,” McConville said.

All active-duty units were ordered to put in place a 24 hour stand-down sometime next week. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to carry out their stand-downs, according to ABC News.

The Army said that during the stand-down, it"will review the risk approval/risk management process, aviation maintenance training program, aircrew training standardization and management, and supervisory responsibility.

“Units will also assess the flight-mission briefing process with an emphasis on risk mitigation, crew selection, flight planning, crew/flight briefings, debriefings and after-action reviews,” ABC News said.

Act On New Information

As can be the case with many crises, new or updated information about the cause or impact of the crisis could come to light as the investigation into the situation continues.

This, in turn, could affect how, when, and why the crisis is addressed—or the steps that should be taken to ensure the crisis is not repeated.