Blackhawks Down

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PHXPhlyer
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Blackhawks Down

#1 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 30, 2023 6:04 am

Two Blackhawk helicopters crash in Kentucky, Army base says
The status of the occupants, and how many were involved, was not immediately released after the crash near Fort Campbell.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tw ... -rcna77350

Two Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a training incident in Kentucky on Wednesday, the Army base Fort Campbell said in a statement early Thursday.

“The status of the crew members are unknown at this time. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families,” Fort Campbell said.

The helicopters involved were from the 101st Airborne Division, it said.

Two Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a training incident in Trigg County, Kentucky, on Wednesday, officials said.WSMV
They were involved in a training incident when they crashed in Trigg County, which is to the west of Fort Campbell, according to base officials.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that fatalities are expected.

"We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected," Beshear tweeted. He said state police and local officials are responding.

"Please pray for all those affected," Beshear said in the message.

The 101st Airborne Division is an Army air assault division known as the “Screaming Eagles.”

PP

PHXPhlyer
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Posts: 8239
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
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Re: Blackhawks Down

#2 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 30, 2023 5:06 pm

9 soldiers killed in Army helicopter training crash in Kentucky
The crash unfolded at around 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) during training in Trigg County, to the west of the Army base Fort Campbell, officials said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/tw ... -rcna77350

Nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training exercise in Kentucky on Wednesday night, officials said Thursday morning.

The crash occurred at around 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) in Trigg County, west of Fort Campbell, the Army base said in a statement early Thursday. The two HH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation aircraft were engaged in a training exercise, officials said.

All nine soldiers were based at Fort Campbell in the 101st Airborne Division. Their identities were not immediately made public, pending next-of-kin notification.

Brig. Gen. John Lubas, with the 101st Airborne Division, said there were five people in one helicopter and four in the other, which he described as “fairly typical.”


Army officials detail circumstances of deadly Black Hawk helicopter crash
MARCH 30, 202304:43
The helicopters were being flown using night vision goggles, Lubas said.

The Army has a deployed an aircraft safety team from Alabama who will arrive later Thursday and initiate an investigation into the cause of the crash, Lubas said. He said he is hopeful investigators will be able to pull data from on-board computers, noting there’s something similar to a black box on board that can shed more light on the crash.

“This is a truly tragic loss for our families, our division and Fort Campbell and our number one priority is caring for the families and the soldiers without our combat aviation brigade,” Lubas said.

The 101st Airborne Division, the only air assault division of the U.S. Army, had confirmed the helicopter accident and several casualties in a tweet early Thursday morning.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news conference Thursday: “We know a lot about loss in Kentucky, especially these last few years. We’re going to do what we always do. We’re going to wrap our arms around these families.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement he’s saddened by the “tragic loss.”

“My heart goes out to the families of these service members and to the members of the 101st Airborne Division who bravely and proudly serve our country each and every day,” he said. “I’m saddened by this tragic loss, and I am working with Army leadership to make sure our troops and their families receive the care that they need in the wake of this accident.”

Kentucky State Police were on the scene of the helicopter crash, along with military investigators and several other agencies, the department said in a news release early Thursday morning.

State police said that the crash occurred in a partially wooded field and that a perimeter had been set up around the debris.

Nicknamed the "Screaming Eagles," the 101st Airborne Division was activated on Aug. 16, 1942, and is based near Kentucky's border with Tennessee.

PP

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