Latest news with #helicoptertraining
CBS News
13-06-2025
- CBS News
Army pilot killed in helicopter training accident in Kentucky identified
A 40-year-old Army pilot was killed, and a second pilot was injured, in a helicopter training accident Wednesday evening at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, the Army post said. The soldier killed was identified Friday by the 101st Airborne Division as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Dustin K. Wright. In a post to social media earlier Friday, the 101st Airborne Division said the incident involving an AH-64 Apache helicopter had occurred in "preparation for the Army's 250th birthday," the festival and parade being held in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the Army's 250th anniversary — that also coincides with President Trump's 79th birthday. However, in a follow-up post, the division said it wanted to "clarify" that the incident "occurred during a routine attack aviation training mission inside the Fort Campbell training area. The crew was not in direct support of Week of the Eagles or Army Birthday." A spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division also told CBS News by phone Friday that the training exercise had "100% nothing to do with the birthday parade in D.C." and was simply "happening while the Army prepares for the 250th birthday date." Week of the Eagles is an annual event that honors the heritage of the 101st Airborne Division. The injured pilot was treated and released from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital for minor injuries, officials said. No further details were provided. The incident is under investigation. Wright joined the Army in 2010 and had served at Fort Campbell since May 2022. He was highly-decorated, having been awarded the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal and the Army Parachutist Badge, among others, his division said. "The entire 101st Combat Aviation Brigade grieves the loss of CW2 Dustin Wright," Col. Tyler Partridge, commander of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, said in a statement Friday. "A former Infantryman, Dustin cherished every opportunity to be outside and support ground troops. He did so with strength and honor. We will forever cherish the memories of his service, and his legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him." Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was among those offering condolences to the family of the soldier who died. "No matter how it happens, when we lose someone who has committed to serving our country, I know it hurts that family but it should hurt us all," the Democratic governor said Thursday. Kentucky state Sen. Craig Richardson, whose western Kentucky district includes the Fort Campbell area, said the soldier's death was heartbreaking. "This tragedy is a solemn reminder that the dangers our military faces are not limited to distant battlefields," the Republican lawmaker said. "The call to serve brings risks at home, in training, preparation, and quiet readiness." The sprawling Fort Campbell post straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- New York Times
One Soldier Killed, One Injured in Helicopter Training Mission at Fort Campbell
A soldier was killed and another was injured during a helicopter training mission on Wednesday at Fort Campbell, the military said on Thursday. The training accident at Fort Campbell, a sprawling army installation that straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border, occurred at about 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the 101st Airborne Division said in a statement. Emergency services responded and confirmed one soldier had died. The other was evacuated to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital in Clarksville, Tenn., where he was in stable condition, the statement said. The pilot and the co-pilot were the only two people on the aircraft at the time of the accident, a spokesman said in an email. Their names were not released, and the spokesman did not identify which soldier had died. The 101st Airborne Division's statement did not say what had caused the deadly accident, which is under investigation; what exactly had happened; or what type of helicopter had been involved. Fort Campbell is spread over 105,000 acres in parts of Trigg and Christian Counties in Kentucky, as well as Montgomery and Stewart Counties in Tennessee. The 101st Airborne Division, the Army's only air assault division, specializes in rapid deployment, often under cover of darkness. The accident took place at a training area on the Tennessee part of the base, the military said. The base and its airborne division were at the center of a crash in March 2023, in which nine soldiers were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopters collided during routine training near Fort Campbell. Weeks later, in April, three crew members from the 11th Airborne Division were killed when their Apache helicopters collided in Alaska. The two crashes prompted the U.S. Army to ground flights until squadrons completed required training. Such stand-downs are common after two or more mishaps within a short period.
Asharq Al-Awsat
12-06-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
1 Soldier Dead, Another Injured in Fort Campbell Helicopter Training Incident
One US soldier was killed and another was injured in a helicopter training incident at Fort Campbell, military officials announced Thursday. The incident involving two service members happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Fort Campbell training area, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) said in a release. Emergency services responded, and one soldier was confirmed dead while the other was taken to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and was in stable condition, officials said. The soldiers' names are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notifications. The incident is under investigation. In March 2023, two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 101st Airborne collided during a nighttime training flight about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Campbell, killing all nine soldiers aboard. The Fort Campbell Army post is located along the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
Associated Press
12-06-2025
- Associated Press
1 soldier dead, another injured in Fort Campbell helicopter training incident
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — One soldier was killed and another was injured in a helicopter training incident at Fort Campbell, military officials announced Thursday. The incident involving two service members happened around 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Fort Campbell training area, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) said in a release. Emergency services responded, and one soldier was confirmed dead while the other was taken to Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and was in stable condition, officials said. The soldiers' names are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notifications. The incident is under investigation. In March 2023, two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 101st Airborne collided during a nighttime training flight about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Campbell, killing all nine soldiers aboard. The Fort Campbell Army post is located along the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
