Wednesday night, in southwestern Kentucky, during a routine training mission, a pair of U.S. Army helicopters crashed. All nine service members on board, reportedly, died in the crash.
A part of the Army’s, 101st Airborne Division, two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, came down around 10 p.m. in Trigg County, Kentucky, according to a statement from Fort Campbell. The 101st Airborne confirmed the crash, saying on Twitter, that it resulted in “several casualties”.
According to Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the 101st Airborne deputy commander, the helicopters were said to have crashed in a field near a residential area, with no injuries on the ground. Lubas said, that one helicopter had five people aboard and the other had four. He said the cause of the crash was unclear and further added that a team of investigators from Fort Rucker, Alabama was headed to the crash site. He also added that -
“This was a training progression, and specifically they were flying a multi-ship formation, two ships, under night vision goggles at night,”
- Brig. Gen. John Lubas, 101st Airborne Deputy Commander
In their statement, the 101st Airborne said-
“Right now our focus is on the Soldiers and their families who were involved,”
-Spokesperson, U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division
Governor, Andy Beshear, said on Wednesday that it was “tough news” and that “fatalities are expected.” Then, on Thursday morning, speaking a news conference, Beshear said the state would do everything it can to support the families of those killed. He reportedly said-
“We’re going to do what we always do. We’re going to wrap our arms around these families, and we’re going to be there with them, not just for the days, but the weeks and the months and the years to come”
-Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear
Also, in the Kentucky House and Senate, members stood for a moment of silence, Thursday morning in honor of the crash victims. Kentucky state Rep. Walker Thomas said the crash occurred about 15 to 20 minutes from his home. He said -
“They’re there to protect us,”… “And we’re constantly seeing these helicopters flying over our communities.” [speaking of their community connection, he said] “The Fort Campbell soldiers that live in our communities, go to our churches … they go to our schools, their kids do,”… “And this really hurts.”
- Rep. Walker Thomas
According to the AP-
“The Black Hawk helicopter is a critical work horse for the U.S. Army, used in security, transport, medical evacuations, search and rescue and other missions. The helicopters are known to many people from the 2001 movie “Black Hawk Down,” which is about a violent battle in Somalia eight years earlier.”
“Black Hawks were a frequent sight in the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan during the wars conducting combat missions and are also used by the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. They were also often used to ferry visiting senior leaders to headquarters locations in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones.”
-Associated Press
According to military officials, last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise. Both were said to be experienced aviators with more than a dozen years of military service apiece. In that case, that helicopter crashed during a training exercise plummeting into a highway in a community just outside Huntsville, Alabama and catching fire as it hit the ground.
We mourn each one then - and now.
"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. it flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it."
–Unknown