A serious air accident on the night of September 18 left four Special Forces officers dead after an MH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington State.
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According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, the aircraft went down around 9 p.m. near Summit Lake, west of the city of Olympia. Witnesses reported an explosion at the moment of impact.
Security forces located what they believe to be the crash site but could not advance with immediate rescue efforts, as the scene was engulfed in flames and the intense heat hindered operations.
Elite troops involved
According to official information, the soldiers on board were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), known as the “Night Stalkers” — one of the most renowned elite units of the US Army, specializing in night operations and surprise attacks.
Initially, reports suggested the helicopter was an AH-64E Apache from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, but the Army confirmed the aircraft involved was, in fact, an MH-60M Black Hawk.
Details still unknown
In addition to the two pilots, at least two other soldiers were on board at the time of the crash. So far, the identities of the victims and details about the cause of the accident have not been released.
Local authorities reported that a small wildfire may have started as a result of the crash, which also complicated search and recovery efforts in the rugged terrain.
The United States Army has not yet issued an official statement with more information about the accident.
Source and images: US Army | flickr. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
