2026-08-24T08:00:29.107Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/24/politics/us-army-attack-helicopters-crashing-at-historically-high-rate
据美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）对美军事故数据的分析，美军“阿帕奇”直升机因该机型普遍存在的传动系统问题，坠毁率正处于历史高位。
自去年10月以来，该型号直升机已发生5起严重坠毁事故。本月早些时候在得克萨斯州发生的一起致命事故造成两名士兵死亡，并引发山火，促使美军临时禁止“阿帕奇”飞行员执行常规训练飞行。加上这起事故，2026财年有望成为2011年AH-64新型号推出以来，“阿帕奇”飞行事故第二严重的财年。
美军宣布，针对部署在中东地区部队的训练飞行暂停豁免已于本周三结束。
据CNN审查数据显示，今年“阿帕奇”严重坠毁事故（美军术语称为“A级事故”，指造成人员死亡或永久残疾、飞机全损或250万美元以上损失的事故）发生率已超过常规年份，可与2024财年美军该机型最严重的事故率比肩。事故率基于事故数量与总飞行小时数的比值计算，数据采用已公开信息及美军安全发言人向CNN提供的本年度飞行小时估算值。
2024财年，在全军所有直升机型号事故率飙升的背景下，“阿帕奇”共发生9起严重坠毁事故。当时美军领导层下令开展专项安全培训计划，并将事故归因于飞行员经验不足以及俄乌冲突后美军加大备战高强度大规模冲突力度，导致训练强度和复杂度提升所引发的人为失误。
但今年事故激增的原因更为复杂。美军官方飞行安全通讯7月刊称，今年包括轻微事故在内的“阿帕奇”事故中，仅有一半多一点主要可归因于人为失误。目前尚不清楚最严重的坠毁事故中有多少是由设备故障导致，但该通讯提到“一起A级事故中出现了灾难性传动系统失效”。
CNN估算，今年“阿帕奇”严重坠毁事故率约为每10万飞行小时6.24起。截至2026财年目前，该攻击直升机已发生5起A级飞行事故。截至8月15日，“阿帕奇”总飞行时长约为80171小时，其中3月31日前的42971小时来自美军内部安全通讯公布的数据，8月15日前新增的约37200飞行小时则由美军安全发言人向CNN提供估算值。
相比之下，2024财年该机型每10万飞行小时的严重坠毁事故率为7.02起。
据CNN获取的两份美军内部安全通报显示，2011年推出的E型“阿帕奇”今年遭遇了严重的传动系统问题，可能导致尾桨、电力系统和液压系统失效。这些系统失灵会使直升机突然进入旋转状态，甚至可能摧毁飞行控制系统。截至7月中旬，相关问题的原因仍在“调查中”，当时发布的一份安全通报显示。
美军发言人蒙特雷尔·拉塞尔少校拒绝就传动系统调查回答提问，也未披露本月发生在胡德堡的致命得州事故原因的任何“初步调查结果”。
“我们对胡德堡附近两名士兵的牺牲深表悲痛，”拉塞尔在给CNN的声明中说道。
他表示，“特殊管控和发布限制”阻止美军提供详细的“航空技术信息”，包括今年有多少起事故与直升机传动系统相关。
最早由行业出版物《防务一号》报道的4月安全通报最初识别出70台存在潜在故障的传动系统，并下令所有部队暂停飞行受影响的“阿帕奇”直升机，待完成维修后再恢复飞行。7月中旬发布的后续通报称，根本原因仍在“调查中”，并将10台可疑传动系统加入禁飞名单。
这两份安全通报共影响了约十分之一的美军攻击直升机部队。6月初，一名美军官员告诉CNN，所有受影响的“阿帕奇”仍处于停飞状态，美军未回应CNN有关截至目前有多少（若有）受影响直升机已恢复飞行的提问。
与此同时，“阿帕奇”的传动系统问题仍被写入美军飞行文件。CNN获取的8月14日美军内部命令显示，在得州事故后实施的训练飞行暂停令中，正式引用了上述两份传动系统安全通报。拉塞尔提醒称，“在安全审查中提及这些通报并不意味着认定其与任何单独事故存在因果关系”。
根据美军命令，“阿帕奇”制造商波音已向美军维修基地部署团队，协助检查和修复传动系统。
美军和波音均未回答他们是如何识别出潜在故障部件的问题。
波音一名发言人向CNN证实，公司“正在支持美军的调查，以确保任何受影响飞机的运行就绪性和安全性”，但将更多问题转交由美军回答。
戴维斯·温基在CNN的报道得到了Outrider基金会与新闻资助合作伙伴（JFP）的合作支持。CNN对报道保留完全的编辑控制权。
US Army attack helicopters crashing at historically high rate amid mechanical issues
2026-08-24T08:00:29.107Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/24/politics/us-army-attack-helicopters-crashing-at-historically-high-rate
The US Army’s Apache helicopters are crashing at a historically high rate amid a widespread problem with the model’s transmission, according to a CNN analysis of military accident data.
The helicopter type has experienced five major crashes since October, and a deadly mishap earlier this month in Texas killed two soldiers, sparked a wildfire and led the Army to temporarily bar Apache pilots from conducting routine training flights. With that crash, fiscal year 2026 is on pace to be the second worst for Apache flight accidents since a new model of the AH-64 was rolled out in 2011.
The Army announced that the pause in training flights, which exempted units deployed to the Middle East, ended Wednesday.
This year’s rate of major Apache crashes — known as Class A mishaps in Army parlance, meant to represent any accident that kills or permanently disables a person or results in the loss of an aircraft or $2.5 million in damage — surpasses typical years and rivals that of the service’s most severe rate in the 2024 fiscal year, according to CNN’s review of data. The accident rate is based on the number of incidents compared to the total hours the aircraft spent flying, calculated using data that has been publicly released and flight hour estimates for the current year provided to CNN by the Army.
In Fiscal year 2024 there were nine major Apache crashes amid a spike in accidents across all Army helicopter models. Army leaders ordered a special safety training initiative that year and attributed the accidents to human errors stemming from decreased experience among its pilots and an increase in training intensity and complexity after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine inspired a new focus on preparing for major conflicts.
But the causes of this year’s spike are murkier. The July issue of an official Army flight safety newsletter said that just over half of this year’s Apache accidents, including more minor incidents, are primarily attributable to human error. It’s unclear how many of the most-severe crashes are due to equipment failures, but the magazine said that “a catastrophic transmission failure was noted in one Class A mishap.”
CNN estimated this year’s major Apache crash rate to be approximately 6.24 per every 100,000 flying hours. Thus far in fiscal year 2026, five Class A flight mishaps involving the attack helicopter have occurred. The Apache, through August 15, had flown approximately 80,171 hours. That number combines 42,971 hours through March 31 that were listed in the internal Army safety newsletter and an estimate provided to CNN by an Army safety spokesperson that pilots had logged approximately 37,200 additional flight hours through August 15.
Fiscal year 2024, by comparison, had a rate of 7.02 major crashes per 100,000 hours for the aircraft.
The E-model Apache, introduced in 2011, has faced significant problems this year with its transmission that could knock out the aircraft’s tail rotor, electrical power and hydraulics, according to a pair of internal safety messages obtained by CNN. The loss of those systems can put a helicopter into a sudden spin and potentially knock out its flight controls. As of mid-July, the cause of the problems remained “under investigation,” according to a safety message released at the time.
Army spokesperson Maj. Montrell Russell declined to answer questions regarding the transmission investigation or disclose any “preliminary findings” regarding the causes of this month’s deadly Texas crash at Fort Hood.
“We express our deep sadness over the loss of the two Soldiers near Fort Hood,” Russell said in a statement to CNN.
He said that “special controls and release protections” prevent the service from providing detailed “technical aviation information,” to include how many of this year’s crashes are related to the helicopters’ transmission.
The initial April safety message, first reported by trade publication Defense One, identified 70 potentially faulty transmissions and ordered all units to stop flying affected Apaches pending repair. A follow-up message sent in mid-July said the root cause remains “under investigation” and added 10 more suspect transmissions to the no-fly list.
The two safety messages combined to impact roughly a tenth of the Army’s attack helicopter fleet. In early June, an Army official told CNN that all affected Apaches remained grounded, and the Army did not answer CNN’s questions about how many, if any, have returned to flight since then.
Meanwhile, the Apache’s transmission issues continue to be mentioned in Army flight documents. CNN obtained an August 14 internal Army order that formally cited the two transmission safety messages in its references for the service’s training flight pause after the Texas crash. Russell cautioned that “including these messages in safety reviews does not imply causation for any individual mishap.”
The Apache’s manufacturer, Boeing, has deployed teams to Army maintenance depots to assist with inspecting and fixing the transmissions, according to the Army order.
The Army and Boeing did not answer questions on how they identified the potentially faulty parts.
A Boeing spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the company is “supporting the U.S. Army’s investigation to ensure the operational readiness and safety of any affected aircraft,” but referred additional questions to the Army.
Davis Winkie’s work at CNN is supported by a partnership between Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners (JFP). CNN retains full editorial control of the reporting.
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