Helicopter crashes with 4 service members aboard in Thurston County, WA
JBLM Black Hawk helicopter crash in Thurston County under investigation
A Black Hawk helicopter carrying four service members crashed in Thurston County Wednesday night, sparking a fire and prompting a large emergency response. The helicopter went down near Summit Lake, and authorities, including the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, were initially unable to approach the fiery scene. Military officials have not released information on the status of the service members or the cause of the crash, which remains under investigation.
THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. - Four U.S. Army service members were on board a helicopter that crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord Wednesday night.
What we know:
The crash happened around 9 p.m. in a rural area near Summit Lake in Thurston County.
In an update Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command confirmed that four service members were on board the helicopter at the time of the crash. The Army did not release their conditions.
The soldiers were assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the Night Stalkers. They were on board an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, according to the Army's media release.
Generic photo of two Black Hawk helicopters
The incident was described as an "aviation mishap" and remains under investigation.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office initially responded to the scene after the military lost contact with the helicopter. When deputies arrived, they located a fiery crash site and promptly launched a rescue operation.
The Army said this is an ongoing situation and further updates will be released as they are confirmed and cleared for public release.
This is a developing story and will be updated once more information becomes available.
The Source: Information in this story came from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
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