Cape Coral serviceman identified as one of nine killed in Kentucky helicopter crash

Kenya Anderson, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read

Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral has been identified as one of nine soldiers kill in a Fort Campbell helicopter crash.

The nine Fort Campbell soldiers killed in a Black Hawk training exercise Wednesday night have been identified by Fort Campbell officials.

All were killed Wednesday night during a routine training mission when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed. One helicopter was carrying five soldiers and the other carried four.

Other servicemen lost in the crash include:

  • Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida

  • Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, of Austin, Texas

  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri

  • Sgt. Isaacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles, California

  • Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina

  • Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabama

  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla, Missouri

  • Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23, of Oradell, New Jersey

All leave behind mourning families and a shocked community.

Elected officials and community leaders with close ties to the installation have expressed condolences as the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Governor Andy Beshear speaks to the press in regards to the ongoing Black Hawk crash that occurred early in the morning outside of Fort Campbell in Christian County, KY. on Mar. 30, 2023.
Governor Andy Beshear speaks to the press in regards to the ongoing Black Hawk crash that occurred early in the morning outside of Fort Campbell in Christian County, KY. on Mar. 30, 2023.

An Army aviation safety team from Fort Rucker, Ala. is on site and currently conducting a thorough investigation into the accident.

“This is a time of great sadness for the 101st Airborne Division. The loss of these Soldiers will reverberate through our formations for years to come,” said Maj. Gen. JP McGee, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell.

“Now is the time for grieving and healing. The whole division and this community stand behind the families and friends of our fallen Soldiers.”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fort Campbell Black Hawk crash: Nine victims identified, names released