Helicopter & Aircraft Crashes:
Veterans who have been involved in helicopter or aircraft crashes during their military service may be eligible for disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Here's some information regarding VA disability benefits based on helicopter and aircraft crashes:
Service Connection: To qualify for disability benefits based on helicopter or aircraft crashes, veterans must establish a service connection, meaning they must demonstrate that their injuries or conditions resulted from their military service. Documentation of the crash and medical evidence linking the injuries to the crash is typically required.
Disability Ratings: The severity of the injuries sustained in the crash is evaluated by the VA and assigned a disability rating based on the extent of impairment and its impact on the veteran's ability to function. Disability ratings range from 0% to 100%, with higher ratings corresponding to more severe impairment and higher levels of compensation.
Types of Injuries: Veterans may sustain a wide range of injuries as a result of helicopter or aircraft crashes, including physical injuries such as fractures, burns, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), amputations, and internal injuries. Additionally, veterans may experience mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, or survivor's guilt.
Compensation and Benefits: Veterans who are granted service-connected disability status for injuries sustained in helicopter or aircraft crashes may be eligible for disability compensation from the VA. The amount of compensation depends on the severity of the disability and how it affects the veteran's ability to function in daily life. In addition to compensation, veterans may be eligible for healthcare benefits, vocational rehabilitation services, adaptive housing assistance, and other support services to help them cope with their injuries and reintegrate into civilian life.
Applying for Benefits: Veterans who believe they are eligible for disability benefits based on helicopter or aircraft crashes can apply for benefits through the VA. The VA will review the veteran's military service and medical records, conduct medical evaluations if necessary, and make a determination regarding eligibility for benefits.
For the Navy, with eight class A flight mishaps for the year 2022, its rate is 1.29 per 100,000 flight hours. For all of 2021, its rate was 1.09 per 100,000 flight hours. Both years’ rates are above the service’s 10-year average of .97 class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. In fiscal year 2022, the Marines are experiencing 2.25 class A mishaps per 100,000 flight hours — almost double the rate of the Navy, data shows. The numbers show a steep increase after two years of well-below-average flight mishap numbers in the Corps — just two mishaps in fiscal year 2020 and none in 2021. The Marine mishap rate is just below its 10-year-average of 2.38 class A flight mishaps per 100,000 flight hours.
Despite the draw-down from active conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last decade, recent independent reports say aviation safety and training problems have been present for years across the military and have increased.
It’s a reminder that even outside of war, military operations are risky. Any kind of military operation is inherently dangerous (and) there are going to be mishaps and people killed in the normal course of business.
