Statement by the FBI on Non-Fatal Training Accident at FBI Training Facility

At approximately 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, 04/27/2005, an FBI helicopter (McDonnell Douglas 530 "Little Bird") crashed on a firearms range at the FBI Academy which is located at the Marine Corps Base, Quantico, VA.  The helicopter was being used in a Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) "fast rope" training exercise when the accident occurred.  The helicopter was hovering at 25 to 30 feet when it crashed.  The two pilots and one HRT member on board sustained non life threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital.

It should be noted that prior to today's accident the FBI had accumulated almost two hundred thousand accident free flight hours.  This safety record is unprecedented considering the broad spectrum of the FBI's aviation mission.