Eleven Feared Dead in Military Helicopter Crash Off Florida Panhandle
Seven marines and four soldiers from Eglin Air Force Base are feared dead after a helicopter taking part in a training exercise crashed over the water Tuesday night off the Florida Panhandle.
The training was conducted on a 20-mile strip of land owned by the military since World War II. From the ABC affiliate in Pensacola:
Two UH-60 Black Hawk aircraft from the Army National Guard assigned to the Hammond, Louisana Army National Guard were participating in a training exercise overnight. One aircraft with four aircrew and seven Marines assigned to Camp LaJeune, North Carolina was involved in an accident near Eglin range site A-17, east of the Navarre Bridge.
The second helicopter and its personnel on board have returned and are accounted for at this time. The aircraft are assigned to the 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Hammond, Louisiana. They were participating in a routine training mission involving the Marine Special Operations Regiment from Camp LeJeune.
Andy Bourland, an Eglin Air Force Base spokesman, told the Associated Press the helicopter was reported missing around 8:30 pm. Tuesday, amid foggy conditions; he told NBC News that debris washed up on shore 2 a.m. Wednesday. "At this time all are missing," he said.
[Image of UH-60 Black Hawk via AP]
