BOONEVILLE, MS – A routine training flight in Mississippi ended in tragedy on Friday when an Apache AH-64 helicopter crashed, claiming the lives of two National Guard soldiers, as confirmed by state officials.
Mississippi’s Governor, Tate Reeves, expressed his deep condolences following the incident which occurred around 2 p.m. in Prentiss County. He urged the public to join him and the First Lady of Mississippi, Elee Reeves, in praying for the soldiers and their grieving families.
The Apache AH-64D helicopter, a commonly used military aircraft, was the model involved in the crash. A similar helicopter was featured in a 2019 photo released by the U.S. Army, showing the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, flying over Alaska’s Fort Wainwright.
The Mississippi National Guard, to which the deceased soldiers were assigned, reported that the crash site was near Booneville. Safety crews and local authorities are currently working on the scene.
While the Federal Aviation Administration is aware of the incident, they have directed all queries to the National Guard. The identities of the soldiers and the cause of the crash are yet to be disclosed. This incident comes on the heels of a similar crash in Utah last week, where an Army National Guard helicopter went down during a training accident, injuring two pilots.