Did Capt. James Bellew kill himself? US Army opens criminal investigation into Black Hawk crash
The US Army has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Captain James Bellew, after he died in a March 30 "incident" at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Bellew was the only victim of the crash involving two US Army Black Hawk helicopters, which one source says was not an accident. It has raised questions about Bellew's state of mind, and whether or not the crash was actually a suicide attempt.
Incidents, particularly those involving helicopters and planes, have become quite frequent over the past year. In February, Huntington Beach Police Department officer Nicholas Vella was killed in a helicopter crash at Newport Beach. In August 2021, a US Navy helicopter from the USS Abraham Lincoln crashed off the San Diego Coast, with five sailors missing, who were declared dead a week later. Earlier in May, former Air Force pilot Nicholas Hunter Hamilton died after his jet crashed near Nellis Air Force Base.
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The alarming rate of accidents has not gone unnoticed. In September 2021, the US House of Representatives passed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, with provisions specifically to address accidents and safety incidents. But those provisions only address actual accidents and do not account for deliberate acts, which Bellew has been accused of committing.
Did Captain James Bellew kill himself?
According to The Army Times, the US Army began probing the incident only after multiple social media theories. Shortly after the crash on March 30, many conspiracy theories began to rise that Bellew's crash was not an accident, but rather "intentional destruction". One blog post making that claim has since been deleted, but the claims continue to circulate in the dark corners of the internet.
A source close to the investigation told The Times that the crash was "not an accident", which is why it is being probed by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID). According to regulations, the CID is only roped in if criminal activity is suspected, otherwise, a normal accident will be probed by the Army Combat Readiness Center (CRC). The involvement of the CID heavily suggests that the army is taking the social media theories seriously, at least for now.
The theories have gained steam given the mystery surrounding Bellew's death. It is unclear how he was able to start up an HH-60 Black Hawk without waking up the crew, air traffic control staff, emergency personnel, or even security. Then there's also the fact that the officer was the only one killed, with no one else even being injured. Lt. Col. Lindsey Elder, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, told The Times, "The initial indication is that all other crew members were asleep at the time of the incident."
Beyond that, Elder has refused to comment on the matter. "No further information will be released at this time to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation," he said. It appears Bellew was very well-liked, with tributes pouring out in the aftermath of his death. He also received multiple service awards and ribbons such as the Army Achievement Medal, indicating he was a highly competent officer.
Whatever the actual cause, the death of Captain Bellew is certainly a tragedy. Only time will tell if fringe social media conspiracy theories were right, or completely wrong.
