4 Americans die in Afghan chopper crash, officials confirm
(AP) KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A U.S. Army helicopter crashed in bad weather during a night flight in Afghanistan, and all four American crew members were killed, U.S. and Afghan officials said Friday.
The American military has confirmed the chopper crashed Thursday night while responding to a suicide attack on a local police checkpoint.
A U.S. official in Washington confirmed Friday that four Americans on board were killed. The military said the cause of the crash was not known, and no other details were immediately available.
The chief of the Garmsir district in southern Helmand province, Mohammad Qayum Gorbaki, said the helicopter was flying to the scene of a suicide bombing in his area when it crashed late Thursday because of bad weather. He had no further details about the crash.
Gorbaki said four Afghan police officers were killed and seven others were wounded in the suicide attack on the checkpoint.
Two U.S. defense officials in Washington said late Thursday that four American troops were aboard the helicopter, identified as an Army Black Hawk. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because details were still being collected, and the families of the helicopter crew had not yet been notified.
Popular on CBSNews.com
- Mexico's drug war 20 Photos
- U.K. official: London attack suspects probed before
- Graphic video: Man dead in "truly shocking" London attack Play Video
- Tokyo's rockabilly scene 16 Photos
- Man dead in "truly shocking" London attack 252 Comments
- London soldier slaying homegrown Islamic extremism?
- Slain London soldier was 25-year-old drummer, father
- Muslim hard-liners ID suspect in London attack
4 Comments Add a Comment
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- Has anyone heard the identities or even the hometowns of the 4 killed...many loved ones there and we can't get any news from them...?
- reply
-
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- When something like this happens the communication for the soldiers gets shut down, so that the families can be notified. Hang in there shut down is normally 2-4 days...... I am so sad for the families that are going through this! Hope for the best that is all you can do!
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- There goes another set of 16 grandparents, 8 parents, maybe 4 spouses and ? children without their significiant person. Thanks bush. and obama for keeping it going. Very sad.
- reply
-
- linkicon reporticon emailicon
- As someone currently in Afghanistan with the Marine Corps, shut up. You really think any deaths are the fault of President Bush or President Obama? You are stupid, ignorant and just listen to other president-bashing dumbasses. The fact is there is war, no matter what, there is war. Was it President Roosevelt's or President Truman's fault for all the deaths in World War II?
