Nine soldiers die in collision of two military helicopters in Kentucky
Nine U.S. Army soldiers Have been killed in the collision of two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. during a training flight last night in Kentucky, the U.S. Army reported today.
The deputy commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division, Brig. Gen. John Lubas, said at a news conference that. four soldiers were on one of the helicopters and five were on the other. during a training flight with night vision equipment.
“Today is a difficult and tragic day for Kentucky, for Fort Campbell and for the 101st Airborne Division.”said the state’s governor, Andy Beshear, at the press conference. The incident occurred in Trigg County and the helicopters belonging to the 101st Combat Brigade flew from Fort Campbell, about 110 miles southwest of Louisville and near the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
A statement from the base indicated that “the command is now focused on the care and attention of the soldiers and their families.“, adding that “the incident is under investigation”. Beshear, in a message on social networks, indicated that local police and emergency services had attended the scene and urged residents to “pray for all those affected.”
Local radio station WKDZ reported that. a soldier at the site confirmed that there were several fatalities, and the county coroner attended the site. The MilitaryTimes newspaper quoted a witness who lives near the crash site as saying that he heard one impact and then two explosions.
Another local witness, Nick Tomaszewski, told local television station WSMV that he often sees helicopters operating from Fort Campbell, but the two flying last night caught his attention. “I said to my wife, “Oh, those look like they’re really close for some reason…and about a minute later, as they were approaching there was a very loud explosion in the sky. And then the whole tree line was on fire.“.
