Military helicopter crashes in Florida; 11 missing
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY 6:14 a.m. EDT March 11, 2015
An Army helicopter went down during a night training exercise at an Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. Seven marines and four soldiers were missing early Wednesday morning. Debris from the crash was found around 2 a.m.
Seven Marines and four aircrew are missing Wednesday after an Army helicopter crashed during a training exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle.
Eglin spokesman Andy Bourland said the Marines are part of a Camp Lejeune-based special operations group and the aircrew are from a Hammond, Louisiana-based National Guard unit. The names of those involved have not been released.
The helicopter was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and search and rescue crews found debris from the crash around 2 a.m. Wednesday, Bourland said.
Search and rescue efforts are still underway at the site of the crash — a remote swath of beach between Pensacola and Destin. The beach is owned by the military and is used for test missions.
A second helicopter — those taking part were Ch-60 aircraft — involved in the night training exercise returned to the base safely, the military said.
The incident follows a helicopter crash on Tuesday in Argentina where a number of French nationals — several of them Olympic athletes — were killed.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/03/11/helicopter-crash-florida-army-training/70135622/
