Black Hawk Accident Record: What Do the Numbers Say?
Sikorsky S-70 family helicopters in Türkiye have been involved in at least 23 fatal accidents since 1993. By this compilation, roughly 120-132 people died in them; the most recent was the S-70 crash in Malatya on 12 November 2026 that killed 4 soldiers. With more than 5,000 built worldwide, the Black Hawk is one of the most heavily used military helicopters. The absolute number of accidents is therefore high, while US Army data show a per-flight-hour accident rate lower than the Apache and the Chinook. A significant share of the causes cited in Türkiye relate to the flight environment: high-voltage lines, fog and bad weather.
Summary
- Türkiye: Sikorsky helicopters operated by the Gendarmerie, Land Forces, Naval Forces and Police were involved in at least 23 fatal accidents with 132 deaths in this compilation. If one disputed record is counted as a single event, the figure is 22 accidents and 122 deaths. haber.aero’s count, based on Flight Safety records, is 30 accidents including non-fatal ones and 118 deaths. The three deadliest: Siirt Pervari 2012 (17 killed), Hakkari 1998 (15-17 killed) and Tunceli Pülümür 2017 (12 killed).
- Worldwide: The Aviation Safety Network’s H-60 family database lists 416 serious accident or write-off records and 1,003 deaths. The deadliest single event was the 67-fatality accident of 29 January 2025 in Washington, when a US Army UH-60L collided with a passenger aircraft.
- Causes: According to the US Army safety bulletin Flightfax, human factors were the primary cause in 83 percent of the 160 UH-60 accidents in 2016-2020, and mechanical failure in 17 percent. Among causes cited in Türkiye, wire or high-voltage line strikes (5), technical failure (5) and fog or bad weather (4) stand out.
Recent Accidents
| Date | Event | Model / Operator | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Nov 2026 | S-70 crashes in Malatya | S-70, 2nd Army Aviation Regiment | 4 killed, 2 slightly injured on the ground |
| 31 Oct 2026 | Rotor strike during rescue in Colorado | UH-60L, Colorado National Guard (US) | 0 |
| 19 Oct 2026 | Black Hawk crashes in Inzá, Colombia | UH-60, Colombian Army | 0 (injuries reported) |
| 28 Aug 2026 | UH-60M accident in Durango, Mexico | UH-60M | 0 |
| 25 Aug 2026 | Special operations Black Hawk crashes in Colorado | MH-60M, US Army | 0 |
| 1 Jul 2026 | Helicopter accident in the Arabian Sea | MH-60S, US Navy | 1 |
| 13 May 2025 | Ditching off Antalya | S-70B-8 Seahawk, Turkish Naval Forces | 0 |
None of the world incidents between August and October 2026 caused fatalities. The only fatal event in the period was the US Navy MH-60S accident in the Arabian Sea.
The Malatya Accident: Official Statement
At around 18:45 on Thursday 12 November 2026, an S-70 helicopter of the 2nd Army Aviation Regiment crashed in the Samanköy area of Yeşilyurt district, Malatya, near the Container City.
The Ministry of National Defence (MSB) announced that all 4 personnel aboard were killed: Pilot Major Erdem Çimen, Pilot Major Orhun Pınar, Technician Warrant Officer Senior Staff Sergeant Hüseyin Zehir and Technician Warrant Officer Senior Sergeant Serkan Önder. Two people on the ground were slightly injured by debris from the helicopter.
The ministry’s statement: “Our S-70 helicopter crashed in Malatya for a reason yet to be determined, and our 4 heroic comrades aboard were martyred.” The Malatya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation.
Türkiye: Sikorsky Accident Records
The table includes only Sikorsky-built or licensed models (S-70A/UH-60, S-70B Seahawk, S-70i, T-70). Accidents with differing figures between sources are noted.
| # | Date | Place | Model / Operator | Killed | Stated cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Aug 1993 | Tunceli | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 3 | Struck high-voltage line |
| 2 | 14 Sep 1994 | Tunceli | S-70A / Land Forces | 3 | Technical failure |
| 3 | 12 Jan 1995 | Diyarbakır, Hani | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 6 (10 in one source) | Loss of control on landing |
| 4 | 15 Feb 1996 | Muğla, Marmaris | S-70A / exercise support | 5 (6 in one source) | Fell into sea in low-level flight |
| 5 | 12 Nov 1996 | Van, Gevaş | S-70 / TSK | 10 | High-voltage line (may duplicate the 1997 record) |
| 6 | 14 Sep 1997 | Van, Gevaş | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 6 (10 in some sources) | High-voltage line |
| 7 | 27 Nov 1998 | Hakkari | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 15 (16-17 in later sources) | Fire from a terrorist organization |
| 8 | 4 Nov 2002 | Sakarya, Lake Sapanca | S-70B / Naval Forces | 2 | Fell into lake during training flight |
| 9 | 19 Feb 2004 | Bingöl, Yedisu | S-70A / TSK | 5 | Not disclosed |
| 10 | 15 Oct 2008 | Hakkari, Kavaklı | S-70A / TSK | 1 | Rotor struck a tree at night |
| 11 | 10 Jun 2010 | Tokat, Topçam Mountain | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 3 | Dense fog |
| 12 | 16 Mar 2012 | Kabul, Afghanistan | S-70 / Kabul Regional Command | 12 | Not disclosed |
| 13 | 3 Jul 2012 | Hakkari, Yüksekova | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 4 | Technical failure |
| 14 | 22 Jul 2012 | Hakkari, Dağlıca | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 5 | Crashed during landing |
| 15 | 11 Oct 2012 | Diyarbakır, Lice | S-70A / TSK | 1 | Tail struck wires on takeoff |
| 16 | 10 Nov 2012 | Siirt, Pervari | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 17 | Fog and bad weather |
| 17 | 17 Dec 2013 | Ankara, Gölbaşı | S-70A / Land Forces | 4 | Struck high-voltage line on test flight |
| 18 | 13 Oct 2014 | Kocaeli, Kartepe | S-70A / TSK | 4 | Not disclosed |
| 19 | 5 Jul 2016 | Giresun, Alucra | S-70A / Gendarmerie | 7 | Low visibility |
| 20 | 18 Apr 2017 | Tunceli, Pülümür | S-70A / Police | 12 | Adverse weather |
| 21 | 4 Sep 2022 | Northern Iraq | S-70 / TSK | 1 | Hard landing (technical reasons) |
| 22 | 3 Feb 2024 | Gaziantep, Nurdağı | S-70i / Police | 2 | Not disclosed |
| 23 | 12 Nov 2026 | Malatya, Yeşilyurt | S-70 / 2nd Army Aviation Regiment | 4 | Investigation ongoing |
Civil Sikorsky: On 10 March 2017 a privately owned S-76 crashed in Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, killing 2 pilots and 5 passengers.
Total: This compilation counts 23 fatal accidents and 132 deaths (the official figure of 15 at the time is used for Hakkari 1998). If the 1996 and 1997 Van-Gevaş records are counted as one event, the figures are 22 accidents and 122 deaths. Gazete Vatan had counted 124 deaths in 22 accidents up to 2017. The difference between sources comes from differing death tolls in some accidents and from which events are counted as accidents.
Commonly confused accidents that involved non-Sikorsky aircraft
| Date | Place | Model | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2017 | Şırnak, Uludere | AS532 Cougar (Airbus) | 13 |
| 26 Nov 2018 | Istanbul, Sancaktepe | UH-1 (Bell) | 4 |
| 11 Feb 2019 | Istanbul, Çekmeköy | UH-1 (Bell) | 4 |
| 4 Mar 2021 | Bitlis, Tatvan | AS532 Cougar | 11 |
Worldwide: Notable Accidents by Country
The table below covers verified notable fatal accidents; it is not a complete count by country.
| Country | Notable accidents | Deaths (at least) | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 9 | 136 | 29 Jan 2025 Potomac, UH-60L collided with passenger aircraft: 67; 14 Apr 1994 Iraq, 2 UH-60s shot down by friendly fire: 26; 10 Mar 2015 Florida, UH-60: 11; 29 Mar 2023 Kentucky, 2 HH-60Ms collided: 9 |
| Australia | 2 | 20 | 12 Jun 1996 Townsville, 2 Black Hawks collided at night: 18 |
| Türkiye | 23 | 132 | Table above |
| Mexico | 1 | 14 | 15 Jul 2022 Los Mochis, Navy Black Hawk: 14 of 15 aboard |
| Colombia | 2 | 17 | 21 Aug 2025 Amalfi, Police UH-60: 13; 5 Feb 2024 Chocó: 4 |
| China | 1 | 13 | 16 Jun 1991 Tibet, S-70C-2: 13 |
| Japan | 1 | 10 | 6 Apr 2023 Miyako, UH-60JA: 10 |
| Taiwan | 1 | 8 | 2 Jan 2020 New Taipei, UH-60M: 8 |
| South Korea | 1 | 6 | 3 Mar 1994, UH-60: 6 |
| Philippines | 1 | 6 | 23 Jun 2021 Tarlac, S-70i, night training: 6 |
| Israel | 1 | 2 | 11 Sep 2024 Rafah: 2 |
| Chile | 1 | 1 | 16 Oct 2025 Patagonia, MH-60M: 1 |
Global total: The Aviation Safety Network’s database for the H-60 type lists 416 events and 1,003 deaths. This figure covers only the H-60 family.
Commonly confused events: The helicopter in the 18 April 2024 accident that killed Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla was a Bell UH-1H Huey II. The helicopter that crashed during the Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia in July 2023 was an NH90 (MRH-90 Taipan).
Causes of the Accidents
Causes stated in Türkiye
| Cause category | Accidents | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wire / high-voltage line strike | 5 | 22% |
| Technical failure | 5 | 22% |
| Fog / bad weather / low visibility | 4 | 17% |
| Accident during landing / low-level flight | 2 | 9% |
| Enemy fire | 1 | 4% |
| Not disclosed or under investigation | 6 | 26% |
A significant share of the stated causes relate to the flight environment: the mountainous terrain of the east and southeast, power lines, sudden fog and night operations. Military accident investigation reports are generally not shared with the public.
Causes worldwide
- Human factors dominate: According to the January 2021 issue of the US Army safety bulletin Flightfax, there were 160 UH-60 accidents in 2016-2020; human factors were the primary cause in 83 percent and mechanical failure in 17 percent.
- Night flights: The 1996 Australia (18 dead), 2001 Hawaii (6), 2021 Philippines (6) and 2023 Kentucky (9) accidents all occurred on night flights. An Army report stated that the MH-60M that crashed in Washington state in 2025 struck three high-voltage lines during night training.
- Weather and terrain: Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense attributed the 2020 accident to weather, terrain and human factors; mechanical failure was ruled out.
- Engine power loss: Japan’s final report on the 2023 Miyako accident described power loss in two engines in sequence; the exact root cause could not be determined.
- Fuel: Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office stated that the Los Mochis crash involved no outside attack or explosion and that the cause was fuel exhaustion.
- Airspace arrangements: The NTSB determined the probable cause of the Potomac collision to be the helicopter route’s proximity to the airport approach path and the failure to mitigate that risk.
- Conflict environment: In the 2025 Amalfi accident in Colombia, a police Black Hawk was brought down in an attack. The method of the attack is disputed between sources.
Accident Rates
- Fleet size: More than 5,000 Black Hawks have been built since 1979, and the fleet has accumulated over 15 million flight hours. Black Hawks make up 63 percent of the US Army’s helicopter fleet.
- Per-hour rate: According to Army data reviewed by Military.com in April 2023, the Black Hawk had 1 serious accident per 100,000 flight hours in 2012-2022; in the same period the rate was 1.93 for the Apache and 1.59 for the Chinook.
- Last five years: According to a Defense One analysis of 31 January 2025, the Black Hawk had 12 serious accidents and a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 hours in 2020-2024; the Apache had 17 accidents and a rate of 4.41.
- Design: The UH-60A was the first operational helicopter designed to the US Army’s crashworthiness criteria from the outset.
The data do not show the Black Hawk to be the riskiest helicopter in its class. Most accidents relate to mission conditions such as night flying, low altitude, mountainous terrain and bad weather.
Türkiye’s Sikorsky Fleet and the T-70 Programme
- History: The Turkish Armed Forces have operated the S-70 since 1989. Helicopters were acquired in groups of 10 in 1992-1994 and groups of 50 in 1999-2003. Operators are the Land Forces, Gendarmerie, Naval Forces (S-70B Seahawk), Police and the General Directorate of Forestry.
- T-70 programme: Under the Turkish Utility Helicopter Programme contracted in 2014, 109 T-70s derived from the S-70i were to be built under licence, with TUSAŞ as prime contractor and Sikorsky, ASELSAN, TEI and Alp Aviation as subcontractors. Planned distribution: Gendarmerie 30, Land Forces 22, Police 20, Forestry 20, Special Forces 11, Air Force 6.
- Deliveries: The first serial delivery was made to the Gendarmerie General Command on 13 December 2022. With this delivery the number of domestically produced helicopters TUSAŞ has delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces reached 100.
- Production status: Lockheed Martin’s 10-K report filed with the SEC on 28 January 2025 stated that, because of the restrictions the US imposed on Turkish entities in 2020, work on the programme was partially halted as of 5 October 2024. Of the 109 helicopters, 38 had been produced.
- Restart: TUSAŞ General Manager Mehmet Demiroğlu said at the Farnborough show that export licences had been obtained for a new batch of 39 helicopters and that they aimed to restart production within 12-18 months.
- Accident record: No fatal T-70 accident was identified in this compilation. The fatal accidents involve the S-70A, S-70B and, in 2024, the S-70i.
Data were compiled from press archives (Gazete Vatan, CNN Türk, Hürriyet, Milliyet, haber.aero), Aviation Safety Network records and statements by the institutions concerned. Accidents for which sources give different figures are shown as ranges in the tables.
