Nine soldiers died when two US military helicopters crashed on Wednesday during a night-flying exercise in the United States, a spokesman said Thursday.
The two Black Hawk helicopters of the 101st Airborne Division crashed around 10 p.m. local time (0300 GMT Thursday) during a routine training mission in the state of Kentucky.
"Nine soldiers died in the crash," confirmed Lt. Col. Anthony Hoefler.
The two planes, Black Hawk HH-60s, a model designed by a brand of Lockheed Martin for medical evacuations, each capable of carrying up to 11 people, crashed in Trigg County, northwest of Fort Campbell , where the 101st Airborne Division is headquartered.
The accident took place while the helicopters were flying in formation at night using night vision goggles, Brigadier General John Lubas said at a press conference Thursday morning.
Four passengers were in one of the planes and five in the other, crews of the usual size, including "a pilot, a co-pilot or crew chief, and often a doctor" and other soldiers, he said. detailed.
"Despite the loss (of our soldiers), we were lucky because they were able to land in an open area not far from a residential area. So luckily there were no additional casualties. or injured as a result of this crash," said Brigadier General.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement he was "saddened by this tragic loss" and said he was "working with the leadership of the military to ensure that our troops and their families receive everything they need after this accident".
The circumstances of the crash, including the possibility of a collision between the two aircraft, have not yet been determined.
Specialist aircraft safety investigators have been dispatched from Fort Rucker, Alabama, and may arrive later in the day, Brigadier General John Lubas said.
"And I think we will quickly understand better what could have contributed to this accident."
"The two helicopters simply disappeared from the sky. There was a flash of light," said a witness quoted by MSNBC. "We saw another helicopter flying over the area for probably 30 minutes, then we saw ambulances and sirens..."
The family notification process is ongoing, Brigadier General John Lubas said.
"We love Fort Campbell, we love everyone who lives and works here. They are part of our community, part of who we are. Their mourning is our mourning," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at the conference. Press.
He had announced on Twitter to go to the military base "to support our troops and their families after the tragic accident last night".
A Black Hawk helicopter had already crashed in mid-February in Alabama, in the southern United States, killing the two occupants on board.
The aircraft, belonging to the Tennessee Air National Guard, was also performing a training flight, near a highway and another highway. The reasons for the crash were not communicated at the time.
And a US Army training plane crashed in September 2021 in Texas, forcing its two pilots to eject. The two soldiers had to be hospitalized.
30/03/2023 21:30:44 - Washington (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
