US Army Copters Crash in Alaska, Killing 3 Soldiers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Two US army helicopters collided and crashed Thursday in Alaska while returning from a training flight, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth.
Two of the soldiers died at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska, and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks, the Army said in a statement. It said a fourth soldier was being treated at a hospital for injuries.
Each AH-64 Apache helicopter was carrying two people at the time of the crash, John Pennell, a spokesperson for the US Army Alaska, said earlier Thursday.
The helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, based near Fairbanks, AP reported.
The Army said the cause of the crash was under investigation and more details would be released when they become available.
The crash is the second accident involving military helicopters in Alaska this year.
In February, two soldiers were injured when an Apache helicopter rolled after taking off from Talkeetna. The aircraft was one of four traveling to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage from Fort Wainwright.
In March, nine soldiers were killed when two US Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
