--- title: "4 special operations soldiers believed to be dead after Black Hawk crash" description: "Four soldiers with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment were involved in the crash near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington." date: "2025-09-18" modified: "2025-09-19" authors: - name: "Jeff Schogol" job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol/" - name: "Patty Nieberg" job_title: "Senior Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/lewis-mcchord-helicopter-crash/" categories: - "Army" - "Military Branches" - "News" tags: - "adsafety" --- # 4 special operations soldiers believed to be dead after Black Hawk crash ![A U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) conducts a low-level flight during Exercise Balikatan 25 over the Philippine Sea, April 25, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force, and demonstrate our commitment to regional security and stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim)]() *A U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ty Pilgrim.* Four special operations soldiers who were aboard a MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Wednesday night near Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington are believed to be dead, Army officials announced. The soldiers were with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. “Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of 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.” The crash occurred in a rural area near the base on Wednesday at around 9 p.m. local time, officials said. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Col. Allie Scott, a spokesperson for Army Special Operations Command, said the helicopter crashed in terrain that was “hard to reach.” Recovery efforts are underway and involve law enforcement, firefighters and personnel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Known as the “Night Stalkers,” the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment is the Army’s premier special operations flying unit. In 2011, crews from the unit flew Navy SEALs into Pakistan for the mission that [killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.]() The Joint Base Lewis McChord crash comes after a dangerous few years across Army aviation. Earlier this year, Army aviation came under intense scrutiny after a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, [collided with a civilian passenger plane]() approaching Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. [Three Army pilots died]() along with 64 passengers on the American Airlines flight. Federal investigators said the [crash was the result]() of overwhelmed civilian air traffic controllers, communication failures and malfunctions with the Black Hawk’s internal systems. In February 2024, the National Guard issued a helicopter safety stand down after two crashes within two weeks. [Two pilots were injured]() when a Utah National Guard Apache crashed during an exercise. Then, two weeks later, a [Mississippi National Guard AH-64 Apache]() helicopter crashed during training, killing two soldiers. In 2023, Army officials [issued a 24-hour stand down]() in aerial operations to review aviation safety and refresh pilot training after a dozen soldiers died in accidents in the span of one month. In March of that year, a pair of HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crashed in Kentucky, [killing nine soldiers]() and then in April, two AH-64 Apache helicopters [collided and ultimately crashed]() in Alaska, killing three soldiers and injuring a fourth. ***UPDATE: 9/19/2025;*** *This article was updated after publication with a statement from U.S. Army Special Operations Command.* ## Author Patty is a senior reporter for Task & Purpose. She's reported on the military for six years, embedding with the National Guard during a hurricane and covering Guantanamo Bay legal proceedings for an alleged al Qaeda commander. Her previous bylines can be found at the *Associated Press*, *Bloomberg Government*, *Washington Post*, *The New York Times*, and *ABC*. You can reach Patty by email at [Patty.Nieberg@taskandpurpose.com](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()