US Army Black Hawk helicopter hit by snowmobile, rider sues government for $9.5 million, says report

Jeff Smith lost the use of his left arm and has been unable able to return to full-time work since the incident, The Associated Press reported.

• A man is suing the government for $9.5 million after he crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter.
• Jeff Smith collided with the helicopter while riding his snowmobile on an evening in March 2019.
• The US Army has attempted to dismiss the case.

A Massachusetts lawyer is suing the government for $9.5 million after he crashed into a Black Hawk helicopter while riding a snowmobile, The Associated Press reported.

Jeff Smith collided with the tail of a Black Hawk helicopter while riding his snowmobile on an evening in March 2019, losing the use of his left arm and having been unable to return to full-time work since, per the report.

Smith is now demanding that the government pay out nearly $10 million to cover his medical bills and lost wages and to hold the military accountable for the incident.

He hopes to use the money to get an electronically-controlled brace fitted that would help him regain some movement in his left arm, per the report.

"It would change my life," he said. "I would certainly be able to function and it would easier to do the daily activities of daily life like brushing my teeth, taking out the trash and opening door with one hand."

"The last five years, there's been surgery, recovery, surgery, recovery," he continued.

"Honestly, right now, it feels like I'm in a worst place than when I first had the surgeries in 2019," he added.

Smith's case is that the Black Hawk crew was negligent in parking the stealth helicopter on a seldom-used airfield that snowmobilers also used, adding that they did not warn them about the aircraft's presence.

"Our argument from the beginning has been that it's incompatible to have a helicopter land on an active snowmobile trail," Smith's attorney said.

The government has attempted to pin blame on Smith, saying he was driving at 65 mph after drinking two beers and taking prescription medication. It has also argued that it can't be sued under the Federal Tort Claims Act and that the crew was unaware it was landing in an area used by snowmobilers.

Following an internal inquiry into the incident, the US Army released a report saying it found "no negligence by the crew" and expressing doubt whether lighting would have prevented the crash.

A US District Court will likely rule on the case later this year.

The Black Hawk helicopter is a multi-role aircraft designed to aid ground troops and armed escorts, according to the manufacturer Lockheed Martin's website.

It is equipped with laser-designated air-to-ground missiles, forward-firing guns, and rockets.

There are more than 4,000 of the helicopters in service around the world today, with the US Army being the largest operator, per the manufacturer.

Black Hawk helicopters are perhaps most famous for their role in the mission that led to the killing of former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in 2011.