HANCOCK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SYRACUSE, N.Y - The New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing resumes local area training flight operations today from Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum.
MQ-9 operations were temporarily suspended following an MQ-9 aircraft that crashed approximately 20 miles northeast of the port of Oswego into Lake Ontario during a routine training mission Nov. 12.
Colonel Greg Semmel, 174th Attack Wing Commander, was appreciative for the joint military and interagency civilian support given the wing as they responded to the incident.
"This has really been a joint response," Semmel said. "From local first responders in the Sandy Creek Fire Department to the assistance of the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy and Air Force efforts to determine the cause of this mishap and prevent future issues."
"Our decision to return to training flights is based on a careful review all facets of our MQ-9 flying program over the past two weeks, along with consultations with our training and technical experts and those from the Air National Guard and Air Combat Command," he said.
The Air Force Accident Investigation Board (AIB) continues to investigate the mishap.
The 174th Attack Wing is home to an Air Force formal training site for MQ-9 pilots, sensor operators and maintainers.