ROCHESTER – The cause of a New York National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crash during a training mission near Rochester on January 20 was a procedural error during an emergency training maneuver, the Army announced on Thursday.
Among the three men killed in the crash near Mendon was Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Prial, 30, a native of Warwick.
The Army said it has since restricted practicing that emergency procedure to flight simulators.
Also killed in the crash were Chief Warrant Officer 5 Steven Skoda, 54, and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christian Koch, 39. All three men were experienced combat veterans.
They were members of the 632nd Aviation Battalion and Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion, a medical evacuation company based at Rochester International Airport.
