4 Army Soldiers Presumed Dead After Helicopter Crash in Washington State

Cause of the crash is under investigation; soldiers’ identities have not been released.

In this photo provided by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, law enforcement personnel respond to a Wednesday evening helicopter crash near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state on Sept. 17, 2025. Thurston County Sheriff's Office via AP

Four U.S. Army special operations soldiers are presumed dead after their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a routine training mission in Washington state, the Army said on Sept. 19.

The helicopter crashed near JBLM around 9 p.m. local time on Sept. 17, according to the Army. The four elite soldiers were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), known as the “Night Stalkers,” based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.