Helicopter Crash Kills 4 Air Force Members

A US Air Force Pave Hawk helicopter has crashed in the coastal marshes of eastern England during a training mission, killing all four crew members aboard, officials said. The helicopter crashed about 6pm local time near Salthouse on the Norfolk coast. The aircraft was based at the nearby Royal Air Force station in Lakenheath, Suffolk County, which hosts USAF units and personnel. In Washington, a US defense official said the accident killed the four US Air Force crew members aboard.

Pave Hawks—a modified version of the better-known Black Hawks—are often used for combat search and rescue missions, mainly to recover downed air crew members or other personnel during war and other hostile situations. They typically practice flying low and fast, often at altitudes of hundreds, rather than thousands, of feet. (More US Air Force stories.)