Utah National Guard spokesman Jared Jones said the crash occurred on Tuesday morning during a standard training exercise on US Forest Service land just outside the boundaries of Snowbird Ski Resort, about 50 kilometres from Salt Lake City.
Skiers and snowboarders taking advantage of fresh snow and clear skies said, from a nearby chairlift, they could hear a loud thud and see significant amounts of dust emanating from the crash site.
The two UH-60 helicopters crashed near Mineral Basin, a normally windy canyon on the backside of Snowbird known for its expert terrain, Jones said.
Jones said it was routine for pilots in train to land in difficult areas regardless of weather conditions to prepare for combat.
He did not provide information on the cause of the crash but said efforts were underway to investigate the incident remove the damaged equipment from the mountainside.
"We do train on the edge so that we're ready for a combat environment anywhere in the world. The crews assume some level of risk. Every time you go fly a helicopter, there's a little bit of danger involved. I'm just happy everyone is OK," he said.
The crash comes about a year after two similar helicopter crashes. In January 2021, a UH-60 Blackhawk crashed during a training exercise and killed three in New York. The following month, a similar crash killed three in Boise, Idaho.
Snowbird is known as one of the United States' premier ski and snowboard destinations because of ample snowfall and the variety of terrain.
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