THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — Four U.S. Army service members aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed during a training flight in Capitol Forest on Wednesday night are presumed dead, according to Army officials.
The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down in the Summit Lake area of Thurston County, west of Olympia, as confirmed by U.S. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith. The incident, described as an “aviation mishap,” is currently under investigation, and recovery efforts commenced Thursday afternoon.
On Friday, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command identified the service members as part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and stated they are believed to be deceased.
“Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” said Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, U.S. Army Special Operations commander. He described the soldiers as elite warriors who exemplified the values of the Army.
A joint response team from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, including law enforcement and firefighting personnel, is conducting the recovery operation. Authorities have withheld the names of the service members pending family notifications but plan to release this information when appropriate.
The cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation, and no additional details regarding possible injuries or road impacts have been made public.