Nine members of the U.S. service have died after two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky during a routine training mission, CNN reports.
Two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed at approximately 10 p.m. on Wednesday near Fort Campbell in Kentucky, as the Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office confirmed in a statement shared on Thursday. “The crewmembers were flying two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred,” reads the statement. “The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.”
There were no survivors in the crash, which happened in an open field near a residential area. No additional casualties or injuries have been reported, Brig. Gen. John Lubas said in a conference held at Fort Campbell.
“We’re going to do what we always do,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during the conference. “We’re going to wrap our arms around these families, and we’re going to be there with them, not just for the days but the weeks and months and years to come.” The names of the deceased have not been released, but authorities plan to reveal their identities after all their families have been notified.
The crash comes just over a month after two Tennessee National Guardsmen were killed in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash approaching Huntsville Executive Airport.