DEVELOPING STORY: Two Blackhawk helicopters from the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell crashed Wednesday night in a rural community about 25 miles from the base.
Eyewitnesses reported a loud popping noise followed by two booms.“We’ve got some tough news out of Fort Campbell, with early reports of a helicopter crash and fatalities are expected,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote on Twitter. “Please pray for all those affected.”
A spokesperson for the Army base said the crash happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday night.
“The crewmembers were flying two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters during a routine training mission when the incident occurred. The status of the crew members are unknown at this time. The command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families,” the spokesperson said.There’s no official word on fatalities but a local radio station is reporting that as many as nine military personnel may have been killed. There were no injuries on the ground.
A spokesperson with the Kentucky State Police said they were assisting Fort Campbell authorities after an “aircraft incident” in a rural area.
