Student Jason Paladino’s investigative report airs on NBC Nightly News

In January 2013, a helicopter crashed into the ocean near Norfolk, Virginia during a routine training operation, killing three of the five crew members on board. Among the deceased was one of Paladino’s friends, prompting him to launch a yearlong investigation into the matter.

The helicopter used in the exercise was a MH-53E Sea Dragon that was first put in service in the early 1980s. Paladino’s reporting reveals that the Sea Dragon is an outdated, dangerous helicopter, and that it is killing US military personnel at a higher rate than any other aircraft.

When Paladino found out about the story, he began interviewing people close to the helicopter program and issuing FOIA requests for crash data. His sources revealed that the Navy was aware of the helicopter’s age-related risks.

“I had evidence of a program in disarray, and a command that seemed to be ignoring signs that the Sea Dragon was unsafe,” Paladino said.

Funding for the reporting was provided by the Mark Felt Scholarship, which Paladino was awarded last spring. The scholarships, which are made possible by a gift from alum Bob Bishop and are awarded by the School’s Investigative Reporting Program, provide up to $10,000 in funding to pursue an investigative story.

Paladino partnered with Mike Hixenbaugh, an investigative reporter at The Virginian-Pilot, to produce the story. Tim McGirk, Zach Stauffer and Professor Lowell Bergman from the IRP set up an interview with a senior producer at NBC, and they provided support throughout the reporting process.