4 Army soldiers believed dead in Black Hawk helicopter crash in Washington state, officials say

Four service members who were involved in an MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash Wednesday night in Washington state are believed to be dead, the Army said Friday. 

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

“Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said in a statement. “They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.” 

Recovery efforts are underway, and the cause of the crash “remains under investigation,” the Army said. Names of the service members have not yet been released.  

“We thank the skilled professionals who are working tirelessly, around the clock to bring our Soldiers home,” Braga said. 

Joint Base Lewis-McChord is located just southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders posted on social media Wednesday that the crash had occurred near Summit Lake, which is located about 20 miles west of Olympia, the state’s capital. 

In October 2024, a U.S. Navy jet crashed near Mount Rainier in Washington state, killing the two crewmembers aboard.