Helo Had Made An Emergency Landing

What had started as a precautionary landing turned tragic Friday morning, when a soldier exiting a UH-60 Black Hawk (file photo of type, right) was struck by one of the helicopter's main rotor blades.

The soldier, whose identity has not been released, was killed in the accident at Outlaw Field, near Fort Campbell, KY. Four other soldiers onboard the helicopter were injured, and as of Friday night one was still in the hospital under observation.

It is not clear how those four soldiers were injured.

The helo's flight crew, made up of members of the 159th Aviation Brigade, was on a local service mission when a warning light illuminated in the cockpit. Fire department officials told the Clarksville (KY) Leaf-Chronicle the crew had reported a small fire in one of the helo's engines.

Once the helicopter landed, fire crews quickly doused the flames... and all seemed well, until the crew reported a man down a few minutes later, and called for emergency medical personnel.

"As he was exiting the helicopter, that's when the accident occurred," said Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Howell Albright, speaking of the deceased soldier.

Although the hinged main rotors on a Black Hawk spin well above the ground when under power, they droop as RPMs are reduced -- such as when the helicopter idles down after landing.

The incident is under investigation.

FMI: www.campbell.army.mil