Two Black Hawk Choppers Crash During Utah National Guard Winter Survivability Training Exercise

The Utah National Guard confirmed in a Tuesday morning tweet that two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were involved in a "winter survivability and mobility training" accident at around 9:30 a.m., local time. The incident is said to have occurred near Utah's Mineral Basin ski area.

No crew members were injured in the Tuesday morning crash, Utah National Guard’s Aviation Public Affairs Officer Jared Jones confirmed to reporters during a same-day afternoon press conference.

"Aviation is an inherently dangerous business," said Jones, who said pilots were operating in "white-out" flying conditions. "It was a blessing that everyone was okay."

The National Guard official detailed that the first Black Hawk chopper crashed to the ground and kicked up snow, causing portions of the aircraft's main rotor blades to become dislodged upon impact.

Bits of the rotor blade ultimately struck the second Black Hawk chopper, causing it to go down soon after.

No hydraulic fluid leaked during the crash, according to officials.

Jones noted that there may be possible "minor injuries" in association with the event.

The crash site is located approximately 150 yards (137 meters) from a Snowbird Resort property, The ski resort has since shut down guests operations for several areas, including its aerial tram, Little Cloud and Mineral Basin ski areas.

Brief footage published by ABC 4 Utah showed skiers departing the crash site.

Officials claim the pilots in command were very experienced and do not believe there was any negligence. However, the situation remains under investigation, and all Utah National Guard training flights have been suspended until further notice.