NC National Guard grounds crew after helicopter scatters Hurricane Helene relief supplies

The North Carolina National Guard is investigating reports that a helicopter blew away hurricane relief supplies in the western part of the state. 

Officials from the state’s National Guard said a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew has been grounded. This comes after the crew flew over a Hurricane Helene relief site and caused items to blow away. 

Three tents and donated items from the local distribution set up were scattered from rotor wash while the crew attempted to land the aircraft. 

Guard officials said the aircraft was delivering generators at the request of a local civilian organization to power their distribution outpost in western North Carolina. 

The crew immediately identified the situation and aborted the landing for safety concerns and departed from the area.

The incident set off a firestorm of anger and conspiracy theories on social media with some saying they believe it was done on purpose. 

The North Carolina National Guard is working with the identified local civilian organization to assess the level of damage caused by the rotor wash. 

In a statement released on Facebook Tuesday, officials said safety is their number one priority, especially with the high volume of air operations currently happening in the region. 

“While NCNG strives for precision in every mission, sometimes things don’t go as planned. When that happens, the NCNG takes it very seriously and are committed to addressing and correcting any issues to prevent future occurrences.”