3 Soldiers Killed After U.S. Army Helicopters Crash In Alaska
Two U.S. Army helicopters crashed in central Alaska on Thursday while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring another, officials said.
A spokesperson for the Army said the two AH-64 Apache helicopters were from Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks. John Pennell, a spokesperson for the military, said two people were aboard each aircraft before the crashes occurred near the town of Healy, Alaska, The Associated Press reported.
Two soldiers were declared dead at the scene and a third died on the way to the hospital, officials said. A fourth soldier was being treated in Fairbanks for injuries sustained in the crash.
The Army said it would not release their names until next of kin were notified.
“This is an incredible loss for these soldiers’ families, their fellow soldiers and for the division,” Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, the commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a statement. “Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them.”
The incident remains under investigation.
"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division. Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them." -MG Brian Eifler pic.twitter.com/IEw6jzus4R
— Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) April 28, 2023
Two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, at Fort Wainwright crashed today near Healy, Alaska, returning from a training flight.
— Eleventh Airborne (@11thAirborneDiv) April 28, 2023
It’s the third serious Army crash in recent months.
On March 29, two Army helicopters collided along the Kentucky-Tennessee border during a training mission, killing nine soldiers. And on Feb. 5, two soldiers were injured near Talkeetna, Alaska, after an Apache helicopter rolled shortly after taking off.
