Helicopter Crash Kills 4 Soldiers
In this photo provided by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement personnel respond on Wednesday to a helicopter crash near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. (Thurston County Sheriff's Office via AP)
Four U.S. Army soldiers were killed when an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a nighttime training mission near a military base in Washington state, Army officials confirmed Friday.
The helicopter, operated by the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) — also known as the “Night Stalkers” — went down around 9 p.m. Wednesday while conducting a routine training flight west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, located about 10 miles south of Tacoma.
Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), expressed condolences, saying, “Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers.” He added that recovery efforts are ongoing and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
The names of the soldiers have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
Personnel from local law enforcement, fire departments, and the military base have been assisting in the recovery operation. According to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the crash also ignited a small wildfire, which had spread to approximately 1.25 acres by Friday morning.
The 160th SOAR specializes in nighttime and high-risk aviation operations in support of special forces missions worldwide, according to the Army’s official website.
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