Nine Lives Lost in Kentucky Tragedy

U.S. Army officials confirmed on Thursday, 30 March 2023 that two Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the Army’s famed 101st Airborne Division have gone down in southwestern Kentucky’s Trigg County, near the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The accident claimed the lives of all nine service-members aboard the two aircraft.

The mishap—the cause of which remains unknown—occurred at approximately 22:00 EDT on Wednesday, 29 March during a night-time training exercise in which the two UH-60 helicopters were engaged.

The Aircraft were based at Kentucky’s Fort Campbell, home to both the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

In a Facebook post, the base set forth the downed aircraft had been flying “during a routine training mission when the incident occurred.” The post further stated Fort Campbell personnel are “focused on caring for the servicemembers and their families.”

Kentucky Senator and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell remarked: “I am devastated to learn about the Army helicopter accident over Kentucky involving our brave 101st Airborne. … My team is in contact with the Army and authorities on the ground. Please pray for our servicemembers and their families as we learn more.”

Kentucky governor Andy Bashear stated: "Today is a tough and tragic day for Kentucky, for Fort Campbell, for the 101st. The nine individuals we lost are children to God; they will be mourned and missed by their families, by their communities. We are blessed to live in the freest country in the history of planet Earth. But we must remember that freedom relies on those who are willing to serve. Some of which paid the ultimate price."

Governor Bashear continued: "We're going to wrap our arms around these families. We're going to be there with them not just for the days, but the weeks and months and the years to come. We're going to let them know they are loved, they are special. They'll allow us to carry some of their grief. We'll do that for as long as we can."

101st Airborne Division deputy commander Brigadier General John Lucas reported on Thursday morning that a team specializing in aircraft safety had been dispatched from Alabama’s Fort Rucker, and will, upon arrival at the accident site, commence examining the accident’s "every possible contributing factor.”

General Lucas disclosed the helicopters had gone down in an open field adjacent to a residential area. The General stated, also, that notification of the decedents’ next of kin was ongoing.

Emergency personnel from multiple counties responded to reports of the accident. Currently, Fort Campbell officials and personnel of the Kentucky state police and Kentucky Division of Emergency Management are at the accident scene.

An individual who, at the time of the accident, was approximately one-half-mile from the point at which the two helicopters came to ground reported hearing "two booms.”

Aero-News Network will continue to report on this story as it develops.

FMI: https://kyem.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx