Three soldiers were killed and one was injured after two U.S. Army helicopters collided Thursday during a training flight in Alaska.
Two soldiers died at the scene of the crash near Healy, Alaska, and a third died while being transported to a hospital in Fairbanks, the Army's 11th Airborne division said in a statement. A fourth soldier is being treated at the hospital for their injuries.
The names of those killed are being withheld until their families have been notified, the Army said.
The AH-64 Apache helicopters were from the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment at Fort Wainwright, based in Fairbanks.
"This is an incredible loss for these soldiers' families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division," said Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne 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. The Fort Wainwright community is one of the tightest military communities I've seen in my 32 years of service. I have no doubt they will pull together during this exceptional time of need and provide comfort to our families of our fallen.”
Officials said the incident is being investigated by a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center and more details would be released as they become available.
This is the second crash this year in Alaska that involved U.S. military helicopters. Two soldiers were injured in February when one Apache helicopter was involved in a rollover accident while taking off in Talkeetna.
In March, nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a training mission in Trigg County, Kentucky.
All of those soldiers lived at Fort Campbell and were members of the Army's 101st Airborne Division, officials said.
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