WASHINGTON -- A U.S. army helicopter with four Americans aboard crashed
near the Bagram air base in Afghanistan yesterday and all four were killed,
an American official said.
The UH-60 helicopter crashed several kilometres east of Bagram air base in
an area known as the East Training Range, said Jim Wilkinson, director of
strategic communications at Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
"I can confirm that there are U.S. casualties and at this time this
incident does not appear to be related to hostile action," Wilkinson said.
He said all four aboard were killed, but he declined to provide other
details about them or the circumstances of the crash. The helicopter and
its crew were on a routine training mission, he said.
Wilkinson did not immediately have information on the military service or
unit to which the four victims belonged.
Details were sketchy and officials said it was not immediately clear what
caused the helicopter to crash. They stressed that it appeared to be an
accident.
The UH-60, known as a Black Hawk, is a utility transport aircraft that is a
key to the U.S. army's mobility.
