1 dead, 2 injured in military helicopter crash in Maryland
LEONARDTOWN, Md. -- A military helicopter with three crew members on board crashed in southern Maryland on Monday afternoon, authorities and witnesses said. The U.S. military confirmed that one crew member died and two were injured.
The two injured crew members -- one who was seriously injured and one who is in critical condition -- are at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, the U.S. Army Military District of Washington said in a new release. Their names will be released when next-of-kin are notified, the release said.
Maryland State Police spokesman Sgt. Davaughn Parker said a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed in Leonardtown. The U.S. Army Military District of Washington said it crashed during a training exercise at approximately 1:37 p.m.
State police sent two medevac helicopters to the scene to assist, Parker said.
Kevin Bowen, who works in the pro shop of the Breton Bay Golf and Country Club in Leonardtown, said he saw the helicopter “flying kind of low” and then “saw it spinning” before it went down between the third and fourth holes of the golf course.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, and a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, will be at the site for an investigation on Tuesday.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss within our community,” said Maj. Gen. Bradley A. Becker, commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region and the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, in a news release. “Our condolences go out to the families and friends affected by this tragedy, and our team is focused on supporting them during this difficult time.”
Leonardtown is about 60 miles southeast of Washington, D.C.
The incident comes less than two weeks after an F-16 fighter jet crashed in an unpopulated area near Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The pilot ejected safely before the jet went down about six miles southwest of JBA, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported.
The F-16 in that crash was from the 113th Wing of the D.C. National Guard based at JBA, and the pilot was flying on a training mission when he crashed. The pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and an official said there were no reports of injuries on the ground.