Army says 4 soldiers died in a helicopter crash in Washington state this week

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SEATTLE (AP) — Four U.S. Army soldiers who were part of an elite team that does nighttime missions died when the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter they were aboard crashed earlier this week near a military base in Washington state, Army officials said Friday.

The helicopter was on a routine training mission west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord when it crashed at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command said. The soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Airborne, officials said.

Recovery efforts are underway, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation, Army officials said.

The skies in the area were mostly clear with light winds from the south around the time of the crash, according to the National Weather Service.

Army officials said they would release the soldiers' names “when appropriate,” out of respect for the families.

“Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, USASOC Commander. “They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

The regiment's mission is to organize, equip and employ Army special operations aviation forces around the world, according to the Army's website.

“Known as Night Stalkers, these soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations,” the website said. “They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world, day or night, with unparalleled precision.”

Law enforcement, firefighters and specialty personnel from the joint base are conducting recovery efforts at the site of the crash, Braga said.

“We thank the skilled professionals who are working tirelessly, around the clock to bring our soldiers home,” Braga said.

The crash sparked a small wildfire that had grown to 1.25 acres (0.5 hectares) by Friday morning, the Washington Department of Natural Resources said. The agency said there was “pretty minimal fire activity” so they had one engine on the scene.

The base is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters.

This is the second deadly crash of this elite unit in recent years.

Five Army aviation special operations forces were killed when a helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2023 during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training. They were all part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

In March 2024, two soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord SOAR unit were hospitalized when their Apache helicopter crashed at the base during a routine training exercise.