Three pilots of the Idaho Army National Guard were killed in a helicopter crash while on a routine training flight, officials announced Wednesday.
The incident happened on Tuesday shortly after 8 p.m. south of Lucky Peak near the city of Boise—the state’s capital. Army officials confirmed that all three victims aboard were pilots.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones as we work through this tragedy.”
The identities of the pilots are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, officials said.
The last time military officials were able to make contact with the crew on board the helicopter was about 15 minutes before the aircraft crashed, Col. Christopher Burt, the Guard’s state aviation officer confirmed in the statement.
Shortly after 8 p.m., the emergency transmitter locator device onboard the helicopter was activated and Burt’s team immediately initiated emergency aircraft recovery procedures, which included air and ground search and rescue crews.
A crew of the Guard found the aircraft wreckage Wednesday morning at approximately 12:15 a.m., officials said.
Officials confirmed the helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
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