WASHINGTON–A U.S. Air Force helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron returned to Joint Base Andrews early Wednesday after spending nearly two days grounded atop of the Georgetown Reservoir in Northwest Washington following a precautionary landing prompted by unusual vibrations.
The helicopter landed near the reservoir at approximately 9:26 p.m. Monday evening after the crew “observ[ed] vibrating mechanical sounds” and “landed out of an abundance of caution, as they are trained to,” according to a Joint Base Andrews press release.
All four crew members returned safely to Joint Base Andrews following the landing, and there was no damage to the aircraft or surrounding property, the Air Force said.
Maintenance crews arrived at the Georgetown Reservoir on Monday night to inspect the helicopter and investigate the source of the vibrations. Mechanics worked on the aircraft at the site over the next two days before it departed the reservoir shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday for the flight back to Joint Base Andrews.
The 1st Helicopter Squadron, based at Joint Base Andrews, operates UH-1N Twin Hueys that provide priority airlift for senior military leaders and other government officials throughout the National Capital Region.
Another helicopter from the 1st Helicopter Squadron made an emergency landing in a corn field in northern Baltimore County two weeks ago following a similar mechanical issue. In 2021, a helicopter made an emergency landing at FedEx field, home of the NFL Washington Commanders.
“Joint Base Andrews takes the safety of the aircrew and our surrounding community seriously,” the base said in its statement announcing the incident.
The Air Force has not disclosed what maintenance was performed on the aircraft or the specific cause of the vibrations that prompted the precautionary landing.
The 1st Helicopter Squadron’s UH-1N Twin Hueys are among the Air Force’s oldest operational helicopters. Although the service once planned to replace them with the MH-139A Grey Wolf, it has since shifted course, proposing instead to convert HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters for the squadron’s executive airlift mission while reserving the MH-139 fleet primarily for nuclear security operations.
