Two Army Black Hawk Helicopters Crash in Training Flight in Kentucky, 9 Dead

A Black Hawk helicopter performs a military flyover on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images for World Athletics) (Getty Images)

Two Black Hawk helicopters out of Fort Campbell on the Tennessee-Kentucky border crashed Wednesday night, killing nine service members aboard.

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The helicopters crashed in Trigg County in southwestern Kentucky while on a routine training mission involving a multi-ship formation while using night-vision goggles, Brig. Gen. John Lucas of the 101st told the press Thursday morning. Brig. Gen. Lucas said that one helicopter had five members onboard and the other had four. With no transports from the crash site, it seems there were no survivors.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted about the incident early Thursday morning on his way to Fort Campbell.

The 101st says it’s focused on contacting family members before it releases more information on the crash or the victims, and caring for the service members affected by the loss of their colleagues. The incident is under investigation and a safety team from Fort Rucker in Alabama has been dispatched. The team is specialized in investigating military aircraft crashes and will be looking for a device similar to a black box in the wreckage. Brig. Gen. Lucas of the 101st thanked Kentucky first responders for their quick response.

The helicopters involved in the crash were Black Hawk variants mainly used for medical evacuations, though Lucas told the press he believed the crash did not occur during medically-focused drills. The helicopters did not radio for help before the crash, nor give any indication of mechanical failure. Additional helicopters flying in formation landed safely in a field nearby the crash site.

Training accidents like these are not unheard of; just this past February two National Guard members died in a Black Hawk crash over an Alabama highway, CBS reports.

A press briefing is scheduled for Thursday afternoon once all affected families have been notified. We will update this story as we learn more about this tragic incident.