At least four service members were on board a US Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. The US Army confirmed the occurrence in a statement released on Thursday. However, the current conditions of those aboard have not been disclosed.
According to NBC News, the helicopter was engaged in a routine training mission when it crashed at approximately 9 pm (local time) on Wednesday. The soldiers aboard were members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, as stated by Army officials. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
“This remains an active, ongoing situation,” the release stated. Multiple news outlets also reported that the crash ignited a small wildfire that had expanded to 1 acre by Thursday morning. This is “currently a search mission” involving the “most professional and skilled addressing the situation,” Army spokesperson Ruth Castro informed The Associated Press via email.
No additional details have been disclosed at this time. The base is located approximately 10 miles south of Tacoma, under the jurisdiction of the US Army Joint Base Headquarters. Meanwhile, the Thurston County sheriff’s office, located in Olympia, announced online late Wednesday that deputies were dispatched to investigate reports of a potential helicopter crash in the Summit Lake area, west of Olympia.
“We have been informed that the military lost contact with a helicopter in the vicinity,” the department stated. The sheriff’s office indicated that it was collaborating with the base and that no further information is available at this moment.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders mentioned on Facebook that deputies found the crash site, “but have been unable to continue rescue efforts as the scene is on fire.” King County Guardian 1 helicopter and special operation rescue units responded to the crash site, according to the sheriff.
In the meantime, personnel from the state natural resources department were collaborating with various agencies, including the military and the local fire protection district, to combat the fire ignited by the crash.
