Washington: The crew of a US National Guard helicopter have been suspended for allegedly using their military helicopter to drop a stash of candy at a private Halloween party in Arizona, terrifying local people.
People living near 36th St. And Camelback Road in Phoenix were left terrified when the Blackhawk chopper swooped close to their homes on October 31.
Many believed that their streets were under some kind of attack.
"I didn't know if it was going to be a crash, or an attack, no clue," one neighbour told the Fox 10 News channel.
"When I came out it was nose down, and it was definitely military," another person said.
But after cellphone footage of the incident was posted online, it emerged that the crew was in fact making an unauthorised sweet treat drop to partygoers below.
The elite crew had reportedly taken off from the Papago Park Military Reservation and was embarking on a training mission.
But they decided to make the spooky impromptu stop midway, leading to the incident.
The Arizona National Guard launched a probe after seeing the video posted online.
"The incident was not sanctioned by the Arizona National Guard and will be investigated further to ensure it does not occur again," an official statement said.
"The Arizona National Guard does not authorise nor condone the use of military aircraft or equipment for personal use," it said.
The names of the crew members will not be released until the investigation is completed, the statement added.
