FT. CAMPBELL, Ky. — Two Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky Wednesday night killing nine soldiers.
There was another eerily similar crash involving choppers with tragic results at Ft. Campbell back in 1996, when two Black Hawk helicopters collided during a training exercise killing the soldiers on board. It injured dozens of others.
What happened was captured on video by an amateur photographer. It will be some time before authorities reveal what caused the crash of the two Black Hawks Wednesday night in Trigg County, Kentucky. But, the video of a similar crash at Ft. Campbell from 27 years ago may offer some hints as to what happened.
"My initial reaction was a total and complete shock," said Larry Safco, who shot the only footage of the crash.
Two Black Hawk helicopters come over the trees in formation and then suddenly something went terribly wrong.
"It was a good probably 15 to 30 seconds before I realized this was not a demonstration. This was not a drill. This was a real-life emegency," said Safco.
Six soldiers were killed in the crash — four in the choppers and two on the ground.
Thirty others involved in the training exercise were injured.
So, what caused the crash?
Look closely at the video and you can see the helicopter main rotor blades just barely touched, that's all it took.
"From the time they made impact to when they hit the ground, it seemed like forever. Like slow motion," said Safco.
In the days that followed, Army investigators picked through the remains of the mangled helicopters looking for the cause of the crash. But the most important piece of evidence is the video. The blades touched, sending the two aircraft spiraling down.
It's not clear if there is any video of Wednesday's crash. It was dark and the soldiers wearing night vision goggles. But nearby witnesses reported hearing what sounded perhaps like a mid-air collision.
It's still not clear exactly what caused the helicopters to clip blades in 1996 crash.
The options then and now for investigators are: miscommunication, pilot error or mechanical failure.
