The only survivor of a helicopter crash that killed two of his fellow New York Army National Guard members took his symbolic “final flight” on a UH-60M Black Hawk last week in Latham.
Sgt. 1st Class Jacob Pratt, a helicopter crew chief who suffered extensive injuries in a crash aboard a UH-72 Lakota while conducting border patrol duties near Rio Grande City, Texas, took to the skies Thursday with National Guard colleagues to mark the end of his military career, the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs said.
The crash on March 8, 2024, claimed the lives of New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officers 2 Casey Frankoski of Rensselaer and John Grassia III of Rotterdam, along with Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna. Pratt’s injuries confined him to a wheelchair.
Pratt, who grew up in Rensselaer, medically retired from the Army in April 2025 after 12 years of service. He said the 45-minute flight helped provide the closure he needed.
“The flight was amazing; it felt like riding a bike. It was normal and comfortable. I was ready for this to happen,” he told the New York National Guard.
At the end of flight, the UH-60 taxied through an arc of water provided by fire trucks from the Albany International Airport Fire Department. Fellow aviators then greeted him.
Col. Paul Baillie, commander of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, flew Pratt’s “final flight.”
“It was an absolute honor for me to do this flight and to have this incredible opportunity to do this for Jake and his family,” Baille said, adding that he had previously brought home the remains of Frankoski and Grassia.
Pratt, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, underwent months of medical treatment and surgery following the 2024 accident. He and his sister, Olivia Pratt, now co-host a podcast called “Squeaky Wheels,” in which they discuss the challenges of dealing with a disability.
