Nine US service members died when two US Army helicopters crashed during a training mission in Kentucky on Wednesday night, officials have confirmed. The incident involved the 101st Airborne Division and occurred near the Fort Campbell military base.
The crash took place at around 22:00 local time (02:00 GMT) while all nine troops were wearing night-vision goggles, according to Brigadier General John Lubas. The helicopters, both HH60 Blackhawks, were conducting a routine training mission involving multi-ship formation and medical evacuation drills.
One helicopter was carrying five people and the other four, in what General Lubas described as a typical arrangement. He added that the crash appeared to have happened while the aircraft were flying, not while in formation. An investigation has been launched, with an air investigations team from Fort Rucker, Alabama, examining the possibility of a collision.
Witness Nick Tomaszewski, who lives near the crash site, told the Associated Press that he saw two helicopters flying low and close together before seeing a flash and a fireball. No injuries on the ground were reported. The Army is working to notify next-of-kin, some of whom are outside the US.
