Two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission in Kentucky, according to a military spokesperson, with the incident resulting in nine fatalities.
At around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, two 101st Airborne Division helicopters crashed in Trigg County, Kentucky, while on a routine training mission, according to the Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office.
“We can confirm two aircraft from the 101st were involved in an accident last night resulting in several casualties,” the 101st Airborne Division account on Twitter stated.
Brig. Gen. John Lucas, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Deputy Commander, told reporters at a press briefing Thursday morning that the incident resulted in the deaths of all nine service members on board the aircraft.
“I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of our fallen soldiers,” he said.
The crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters when the crash took place, with the Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office saying that the status of the service members involved in the incident remained unclear.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a post on Twitter that local officials were responding to the crash.
“Please pray for all those affected,” he wrote.
Beshear said in a follow-up message that he would be travelling to Fort Campbell “to support our troops and their families after last night’s tragic incident” and that more information would be disclosed at a later time.
Speaking at the press conference, Beshear expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers.
“We are blessed to live in the freest country in the history of planet Earth,” Beshear said. “But we must remember that that freedom relies on those who are willing to serve, some of which pay the ultimate price.”
The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter that is designed to provide support for a range of military operations, including medical evacuations and air assault.
By Tom Ozimek
