---
title: "Soldier killed in Black Hawk accident at Fort Polk"
description: "One soldier was killed and three others were injured in a helicopter accident at Fort Polk."
date: "2019-09-26"
modified: "2019-09-26"
authors:
  - name: "Haley Britzky"
    job_title: "Former Army Reporter"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/haley-britzky/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/jrtc-training-accident-fatality/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Army"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Helicopters"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "Northern Command"
---

# Soldier killed in Black Hawk accident at Fort Polk

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/21148437-1.jpg>)

One soldier has been killed and three others injured Thursday in a helicopter accident at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana.

JRTC and Fort Polk [announced the incident on Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/JRTCandFortPolk/posts/2637520299626643?__tn__=-R>) on Thursday, saying that four soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment were on board a helicopter early Thursday morning when the accident occurred. A Fort Polk spokeswoman confirmed to Task & Purpose the helicopter was a UH-60 Black Hawk.

"Four crew members were on board the helicopter," the Facebook post said. "One is deceased and three were injured. Names will not be released until notification of the next kin is complete."

The accident is being investigated. [ABC News reported](<https://abcnews.go.com/US/service-member-killed-injured-army-helicopter-accident-fort/story?id=65877288>) that the Black Hawk was a medevac unit "en route to pick up another soldier with minor injuries."

Training accidents have been happening with alarming frequency — in 2018, the House Armed Services Committee said that almost four times as many military personnel died in training accidents than in combat in the previous year.

Fatalities from aviation training mishaps alone also surpassed those in combat.

## Author
Haley Britzky was the Task & Purpose Army reporter from 2019 to 2022. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services.Â

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-britzky-b09022a0/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/halbritz>)