Helicopter crashes in Washington state near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Army says

An MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying four servicemembers crashed in Washington state Wednesday night near a military base, the Army said. There was no immediate word on their conditions.

The Army said in a statement that the crash happened in a rural area near Joint Base Lewis-McChord at approximately 9 p.m. local time Wednesday. The four servicemembers were assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the Army said.

"This remains an active, ongoing situation," the Army said Thursday.

Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a Facebook post that the crash was near Summit Lake, west of the state capital of Olympia.

At one point, deputies were unable to continue rescue efforts because "the scene is on fire and is starting to overheat their footwear," Sanders said.

The Thurston County Sheriff's Office in Washington state responded to a military helicopter crash, Sept. 17, 2025. Thurston County Sheriff's Office
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.