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Two U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopters crashed Wednesday night during a training mission in southwestern Kentucky, causing “several casualties,” authorities said.
The HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division crashed around 10 p.m. Wednesday in Trigg County, Kentucky, to the west of the Army base Fort Campbell, the division said in a Thursday statement.
The 101st Airborne said the crash resulted in “several casualties” but did not immediately release any additional details.
“The status of the crew members are unknown at this time,” the 101st Airborne said in the statement. “The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.”
The 101st Airborne Division, nicknamed the “Screaming Eagles,” is the only air assault division of the U.S. Army.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Twitter statement that fatalities were expected, adding that Kentucky State Police, the state’s division of emergency management and local officials are responding.
Beshear said he will travel to Fort Campbell to “support our troops and their families after last night’s tragic incident.”
“Please pray for all those affected,” he said.
The crash occurred in a “field, some wooded area,” and there are no reports of damage to homes, Kentucky State Police Trooper Sarah Burgess said at a news conference.
Press conference set for Thursday morning
A news conference on the crash is expected to be held at 9 a.m. local time, or 10 a.m. ET, Thursday, according to multiple media reports.
Previous helicopter crashes
Last month, two Tennessee National Guard pilots were killed when their Blackhawk helicopter crashed along an Alabama highway during a training exercise.
The Kentucky incident also comes days after a police helicopter crashed Sunday in a sugar cane field in Louisiana, killing two police officers.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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