Army Says 9 Soldiers Dead After Kentucky Training Mission Black Hawk Helicopter Crash

Ten service members with the 101st Airborne Division were tragically killed Wednesday night in southwestern Kentucky, when two of their helicopters crashed. The two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were conducting a routine training mission when the incident happened in Trigg County, according to a statement by Fort Campbell. There were no survivors.

Two medical evacuation helicopters belonging to the 101st Airborne Division crashed while participating in a training exercise, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, the Division's Deputy Commander, reported during a Thursday press conference at Fort Campbell. The accident, which occurred in an open area near a residential community, thankfully caused no additional casualties or injuries.

The two Black Hawks that crashed were part of a four-chopper formation that included one helicopter stopping to refuel and the other proceeding ahead. General Lubas strongly denied any speculation the crash occurred during a medical evacuation drill.

Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky declared that the state will provide support for the families of the victims of a Black Hawk helicopter crash, which killed two Kentucky National Guardsmen and injured six others.

The crash took place on Sunday in Hardin County, located in West-Central Kentucky.
At a news conference, Beshear vowed to be there for the families of the two guardsmen in the weeks, months, and years to come.

A team of investigators from Fort Rucker in Alabama is being sent to the crash site to look into the cause of the incident.
According to the US Army Combat Readiness Center, the average of on-duty aviation mishaps resulting in death over the past three years is five deaths per year.

This crash comes less than two months after two Tennessee National Guardsmen were killed in a UH-60 Black Hawk crash during a training flight in Alabama.

On Thursday, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth expressed her deep sorrow in the wake of an Army helicopter crash in Kentucky which left seven military personnel dead. During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Wormuth stated, “It’s a heavy day for the Army. Our hearts go out to the families of our soldiers who were killed in the crash.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky released a statement on Twitter, saying, “I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our service members and their families as we learn more.”