Helis, June 04, 2024 - MILTON, FLORIDA - US Navy's Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) announced that strong winds in mid-May at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, home of the rotary-wing naval training school, caused damage to over a dozen of the new Leonardo TH-73 Thrasher trainer helicopters.
The following statement was issued by the Commander, Naval Air Training Command (CNATRA):
“On May 13, at approximately 10:35 a.m. CST, a significant weather event involving high winds up to 71 knots (gusting) caused damage to 41 TH-73 Thrasher helicopters assigned to Training Air Wing (TAW) 5. No injury to personnel occurred during the incident and there has been no reported damage to any TH-57 Sea Ranger or T-6 Texan II aircraft positioned on the flight line. All aircraft were parked aboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field during the incident. The full extent of the resources needed to restore the fleet has not yet been finalized, however, repairs are not expected to exceed a month. No operational impact to the CNATRA mission is expected due to the availability of CNATRA’s fleet of TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters that remain undamaged.”
The following statement was issued by the Commander, Naval Air Training Command (CNATRA):
“On May 13, at approximately 10:35 a.m. CST, a significant weather event involving high winds up to 71 knots (gusting) caused damage to 41 TH-73 Thrasher helicopters assigned to Training Air Wing (TAW) 5. No injury to personnel occurred during the incident and there has been no reported damage to any TH-57 Sea Ranger or T-6 Texan II aircraft positioned on the flight line. All aircraft were parked aboard Naval Air Station Whiting Field during the incident. The full extent of the resources needed to restore the fleet has not yet been finalized, however, repairs are not expected to exceed a month. No operational impact to the CNATRA mission is expected due to the availability of CNATRA’s fleet of TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters that remain undamaged.”
TH-73 helicopter
In January 2020, the US Navy selected the Leonardo Philadelphia AW119Kx in its TH-119 variant as the winner of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) TH-XX competition to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger against the Airbus H135.
A total of 130 TH-73A helicopters, named Thrasher, will fulfill advanced rotary wing and intermediate tilt-rotor training requirements for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard through 2050.
In September 2022, the first twelve students began training on the TH-73A with Helicopter Training Squadron Eight at NAS Whiting Field.
The Leonardo AW119Kx built in Philadelphia replaced the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the new naval aviation trainer helicopter
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TH-73A Thrasher in
US Navy HT-8
Helicopter Training Squadron Eight US Navy 
Helicopters Accident Reports 
