Helicopters from JBLM have crashed before, including last year
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- A helicopter from JBLM crashed Wednesday night in rural Thurston County.
- There have been four prior JBLM helicopter crashes since 2006, including seven deaths.
- The U.S. Army began increased training last year following recent aviation accidents.
A military helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord crashed Wednesday night in a rural area of Thurston County. It wasn’t immediately reported early Thursday whether anyone was injured.
The crash, which authorities say occurred after the military lost contact with the helicopter, comes following increased training that began last year in the wake of a trend of aviation accidents throughout the U.S. Army, The News Tribune previously reported.
Prior to Wednesday, at least four helicopters from JBLM have crashed in the past 20 years, according to news reports.
March 25, 2024 — Apache AH-64E helicopter crashes on JBLM property during a routine training exercise, injuring two pilots.
Dec. 12, 2011 — Two OH-58 Kiowa observation helicopters crash in a training area southwest of JBLM, killing four soldiers.
Dec. 21, 2006 — UH-60 Black Hawk medium utility helicopter crashes during a night training mission south of Enumclaw, killing all three aboard.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM.
