1996 — June 18, Army transport helicopters collide and crash, Fort Campbell, KY — 6

— 6  AP. “6 Soldiers Die in a Collision of Helicopters in Kentucky.” NYT, 6-19-1996.

— 6  CNN. “Army helicopters collide during exercise. Six soldiers killed…” 6-18-1996.

 

Narrative Information

 

June 18, CNN: “Washington (CNN) — Six members of the elite 101st Airborne Division were killed when two Army Blackhawk helicopters collided in midair Tuesday afternoon while conducting a demonstration exercise at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Thirty people were injured, including two civilians who were watching the air maneuvers, the Army said.

 

“The Blackhawk helicopters, part of the 101st Airborne Division based at Fort Campbell, are light transport aircraft used for attack missions or medical evacuations. The crafts usually carry three-person crews, and can transport up to 11 combat-equipped troops. Sources say there were 24 soldiers and eight crew members on the two helicopters.

 

“The two helicopters were conducting a demonstration of air assault techniques, in which the helicopters hover a short distance off the ground and soldiers rappel out on ropes. Their audience included members of The Association of the United States Army, the Army said.

 

“Apparently the crash occurred after the helicopters’ rotors touched during the demonstration. Army officials have closed the base to the media, and have confiscated videotape of the incident from an independent cameraman who witnessed the crash.

 

“The U.S. military has been plagued this year by crashes of helicopters and other types of aircraft. In March, an MH-47 Chinook crashed in Olmstead, Kentucky, during a routine Army training flight, killing all five crew members on board….

 

“The Marine Corps has also seen a spate of fatal crashes; it suspended non-essential flights for two days on March 27, following its ninth crash since the beginning of 1996. In May, the Marines suffered yet another major crash when two Marine helicopters — a Cobra gunship and a CH-46 twin-rotor helicopter — crashed at Camp LeJeune in a nighttime exercise. Most of the 16 people aboard the two aircraft died.” (CNN. “Army helicopters collide during exercise. Six soldiers killed; civilians injured.” 6-18-1996.)

 

June 20, AP: “Fort Campbell, Ky. (AP) – Two soldiers who lay on the ground pretending to be injured during a training exercise were among the six servicemen killed when two helicopters collided. The other four soldiers killed were on the two UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters that crashed Tuesday after one veered into the other and the aircrafts’ main rotor blades collided. Twenty eight soldiers – including a third person on the ground – were injured…” (The Chronicle, Elyria, OH. “2 GIs killed were ‘mock dead.’” 6-20-1996, A3.)

 

June 21, (AP): “Fort Campbell, Ky. (AP)….Officials at Fort Campbell released the names Thursday of the soldiers killed during a mock rescue mission Tuesday at the base along the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Twenty-eight were injured.

 

“One of the soldiers killed was Spec. 4 Larry Christopher Hinson, 25, of Red Level, Ala. He was about to rappel from one of the two helicopters when their main rotors collided….The other soldiers killed were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Francisco J. Ruiz, 31, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; 1st Sgt. John A. Harrison, 35, of Foster City, Calif.; Pfc. Robert Hicks Jr., 20, of Philadelphia; Pvt. 1 Angel A. Bernal-Frias, 20, of Tucson, Ariz. and Spc. Nathan D. Shirley, 23, of Sandusky, Ohio….

 

“A Fort Campbell spokesman…said 17 soldiers remained at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital on Thursday. A release said five of the solders remained in critical condition and 12 were in good condition….” (Associated Press. “Soldiers killed in crash identified.” Sandusky Register, OH, 6-21-1996, p. 1.)

 

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “6 Soldiers Die in a Collision of Helicopters in Kentucky.” New York Times, 6-19-1996. Accessed 2-3-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1996/06/19/us/6-soldiers-die-in-a-collision-of-helicopters-in-kentucky.html

 

Associated Press. “Soldiers killed in crash identified.” Sandusky Register, OH, 6-21-1996, p. 1. Accessed 2-3-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=229294403&sterm

 

CNN. “Army helicopters collide during exercise. Six soldiers killed; civilians injured.” 6-18-1996. Accessed 2-3-2016 at: http://www.cnn.com/US/9606/18/helo.crash/

 

The Chronicle, Elyria, OH. “2 GIs killed were ‘mock dead.’” 6-20-1996, A3. Accessed 2-3-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=8239899&sterm=helicopters+fort