Nine killed in crash of two US Army helicopters in Kentucky

Nine soldiers were killed in a crash of two medical evacuation Black Hawk helicopters during a routine nighttime training mission over Kentucky, the U.S. Army said on Thursday, in one of the militarys deadliest training accidents in recent years.Crew members using night-vision goggles were flying two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, operated by the Armys 101st Airborne Division, when the aircraft crashed in a field late on Wednesday over Kentuckys Trigg County...

Army Brigadier General John Lubas, the divisions deputy commanding officer for operations, said little was known so far about why the helicopters came down and he acknowledged he was not even sure whether they crashed into each other.Lubas said an aircraft safety investigations team from Fort Rucker in Alabama would arrive later on Thursday to review data from onboard computers, which he said were similar to the black boxes in commercial aircraft.At this point, we dont know..

Secretary Christine Wormuth addressed a Senate committee, where lawmakers expressed their condolences, and said it was tough moment for the U.S. militarys biggest service branch.Thank you for your comments and thoughts and prayers for the families of our soldiers who were killed in the crash..

Its a heavy day for the Army.The weather in Fort Campbell area, which straddles the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, featured clear skies and calm winds on Wednesday night, according to National Weather Service forecaster Marc Chenard.Fort Campbell, home to the 101st Airborne Division, is one of the largest military bases in the United States..

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