Nine soldiers have been killed in a crash of two US Army Black Hawk helicopters during a routine training mission over Kentucky, an army spokesperson says.
Crew members were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the 101st Airborne Division, when the aircraft crashed late on Wednesday (local time) over Kentucky’s Trigg County, Fort Campbell’s public affairs office said.
A local pastor reported hearing a loud crash, that turned out be the fatal helicopter accident.
“It reverberated,” Oak Grove Baptist Church pastor Nicholas Clark said.
He lives less than two kilometres from the crash site.
US Army spokesman Brigadier General John Lubas said one Black Hawk had five people aboard, the other four.
“This is a tragic loss for our families and Fort Campbell,” he said.
“Our No.1 priority is caring for the families and soldiers in our combat aviation brigade.”
He said the names of those who died would not be released until next of kin had been notified.
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The HH-60 is a variant of the Black Hawk helicopter designed to provide support for various military operations, including air assaults and medical evacuations, according to the army.
During a congressional hearing in Washington DC, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth spoke about the crash.
“Thank you for your comments and thoughts and prayers for the families of our soldiers who were killed in the crash. Our hearts go out to them,” Wormuth told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“It’s a heavy day for the army.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear travelled to Fort Campbell “to support our troops and their families after last night’s tragic incident”, he wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
“Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for the Fort Campbell and for the 101st,” Mr Beshear said at a later media briefing.
“The nine individuals we lost are children of God. They will be mourned and missed by their families, by their communities.”
There were clear skies and calm winds in the Fort Campbell area, which straddles the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, on Wednesday night, according to National Weather Service forecaster Marc Chenard.
-with AAP
