A South Korea helicopter crash killed two U.S. military pilots Monday during a training mission in the Wonju Gangwon Province.
The AH-64 Apache helicopter crash happened around 6:20 p.m. local time on a
mountain road, the Yonhap news agency reported. The bodies of the two people inside the helicopter were recovered, though the U.S. Army said in a statement the identities will not be released until next of kin is notified.
Officials reportedly believe the helicopter struck either a high-voltage line or a nearby steel tower, as the line was part of the wreckage and the top part of the tower was damaged, according to Yonhap. The crash occurred nearly
50 miles east of Camp Humphreys, ABC News reported.
"I went out after hearing a 'bang' sound twice and saw flames rising into the sky from the side of the road," a witness stated in a police report, according to the Yonhap News Agency.
The Army Times reported that South Korean soldiers arrived and secured the crash site until U.S. military personnel and medevac crews got there.
The victims were reportedly part of the 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Division. ABC News noted.
"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the soldiers involved in this tragic incident," Lt. Col. Mark Gillespie, the deputy commander of 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, told the news website. "Our first priority is to provide their families with the support they need during this difficult time."
Lt. Col. Chris Hyde, a spokesman for 2nd Infantry Division, told the Army Times that a team from the Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama, was expected to conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash.
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