Remains of troops killed in NY helicopter crash recovered
The remains of three National Guard members killed in a helicopter training accident in upstate New York have been recovered
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The remains of three National Guard members killed in a helicopter training accident were recovered and being transported from the western New York crash site Thursday, escorted by police and fire vehicles.
The troops died when their UH-60 Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopter crashed in a farmer's field in rural Mendon, south of Rochester, around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. There were no survivors.
First responders lined part of the route and saluted as a procession accompanying a medical examiner's vehicle drove to the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office in Brighton on Thursday morning.
The names of the soldiers have not been released.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. Witnesses who called 911 reported hearing the sounds of an engine sputtering and said the helicopter was flying very low, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter said at a news conference Wednesday evening.
Photos from the scene showed the wreckage in flames on a snow-covered field.
The helicopter flew out of the Army Aviation Support Facility at Rochester International Airport, and was assigned to C Company of the 1st Battalion, 171st General Support Aviation Battalion, according to Eric Durr, the public affairs director of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs.
The unit, with about 80 members, is a medical evacuation unit whose mission is to pick up casualties on the battlefield and transport them to military medical facilities, Durr said.
About half the unit spent most of 2019 deployed in Afghanistan.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed flags on state buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday to pay tribute to the National Guard members.