Army helicopter from JBLM crashed Monday night in Thurston County. Two hospitalized
Two pilots were taken to the hospital Monday night after their Army helicopter crashed on Joint Base Lewis-McChord property in Thurston County Monday night.
The “aviation mishap” involved a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopter assigned to 4-6 ACS, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade during a routine training exercise, JBLM told The News Tribune on Tuesday.
About 9:45 p.m., fire crews with Southeast Thurston Fire Authority and East Olympia Fire District 6 were dispatched to Rainier Road Southeast at Stedman Road.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene, Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Brooks said.
Southeast Thurston Fire Chief Mark King described the terrain as marshy, heavy with brush and difficult to access.
The two pilots survived the crash, he said. One was taken by ground and one was transported by air to Madigan Army Medical Center at JBLM, King said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The two pilots remained hospitalized in stable condition as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Army was deploying a team from the Combat Readiness Center at Fort Novosel, Alabama, to investigate the incident, a JBLM spokesman said.
This story was originally published March 26, 2024 at 9:49 AM.
