Military officials confirmed Thursday morning that nine soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell were killed when two helicopters crashed in Trigg County Wednesday night.
Fort Campbell public affairs confirmed that two HH60 Blackhawk helicopters crashed during a routine training mission. The press release did not provide the status of the crewmembers but said the command is currently focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.
Trigg County emergency personnel said the crash occurred between Bobby Light Road and Lancaster Road around 9:35 pm.
A U.S. Army soldier at the scene confirmed multiple deaths with Trigg County Coroner John Mark Vinson called to the scene. Fort Campbell officials arrived on the scene about an hour after the crash to begin their investigation.
One witness, who lives about a half mile from the crash site, said they heard ‘a pop’ and ‘two booms’. Trigg County Jailer James Hughes also lives about a half mile away and heard what he believed to be a collision.
Others on the scene say several military helicopters have been flying across the area over the last few nights.
East Golden Pond Fire Department was called to help extinguish the fires on the helicopters. Emergency personnel was concentrating their efforts on three areas between Lancaster Road and Bobby Light Road.
Kentucky State Police Post 1 Spokeswoman Trooper Sarah Burgess said they were called to assist agencies on site.
Weather conditions at the time were reported to be clear with light to no wind.
It is the general protocol for a Safety Investigation Team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, headquartered at Fort Rucker, Alabama to investigate crashes involving military aircraft.
