Nine U.S. soldiers died late Wednesday after two Fort Campbell Blackhawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky.
According to the 101st Airborne Division, the Blackhawks crashed in Trigg County around 10 p.m. during a “routine training mission.” ABC News confirmed that all troops on board the two aircraft died as a result of the crash.
“The crewmembers were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred,” Fort Campbell said in a statement. “The status of the crew members are unknown at this time. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted that state police and emergency, as well as local officials, responded to the crash.
“We will share more information as available,” he added. “Please pray for all those affected.”
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. The incident is under investigation.
Last year, two Utah National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters crashed in northern Utah. All crew members survived and none were injured in the incident. Both of the helicopters suffered damage in the crash.
During an afternoon press conference Utah National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CWO 5) Jared Jones said the pair of helicopters was flying to an area for approved winter landing training. Jones said the exact circumstances of the incident are still unclear, but from what he had observed from the incident video, as the lead helicopter came in for a landing, the helicopter rotor blades kicked up a lot of snow, likely causing the flight crew to lose visibility with the ground.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
