Tennessee National Guard helicopter crashes in Alabama; 2 dead named

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The Tennessee National Guard has identified two pilots who were killed after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed Wednesday outside Huntsville, Alabama.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Wadham of Joelton, Tennessee, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Danny Randolph of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, were killed when their UH-60 helicopter helicopter crashed near Highway 53 and Burwell Road in Huntsville, Alabama, Brig. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s adjutant general, said Thursday.

The two pilots were assigned to A Company, 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, from Nashville’s Berry Field Air National Guard Base. Wadham had 15 years of service; Randolph had 13 years of service, according to Ross.

How did the Tennessee National Guard helicopter crash?

The helicopter was approaching the Huntsville Executive Airport when the aircraft rapidly descended and impacted the ground, Ross said. The Madison County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department responded to the crash site and initially reported the death of the two crew members, he said.

Federal and state authorities are investigating the accident.

The UH-60 helicopter, more widely known as a Black Hawk, crashed in the unincorporated community of Harvest, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a statement, just after 3 p.m. local time along Highway 53 just south of the Alabama-Tennessee state line.

At the time, U.S. military officials said two people were on board and confirmed the helicopter belonged to the Tennessee National Guard.

Local fire crews found the helicopter on fire, Don Webster, community relations director for Huntsville Emergency Medical Services, told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The helicopter “was destroyed beyond recognition,” Webster said. “Our heart goes out to them, for all they do for this country.”

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What else is known so far about Black Hawk crash:

The helicopter was on a training mission, according to military officials.
No one else was injured in the crash.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

“Words cannot express my sorrow for the loss of these two Tennessee National Guardsmen,” said Ross. “It is felt not only within the ranks of the Tennessee National Guard, but across our entire military community. We ask that Tennesseans continue to join us in prayer for these soldiers’ families amid this tragic loss.”

The highway along which the crash happened passes through commercial areas bounded by subdivisions, forests and fields.

Harvest is northwest of Huntsville, home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. The once rural area has become increasingly suburban and is about 90 miles south of Nashville.

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Governors express condolences

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the Tennessee National Guard will support law enforcement at the scene.

“Maria and I are deeply saddened by the tragic loss. … Please join us in lifting their families up in prayer and support during this time of unspeakable grief.”

“Governor Lee, Alabamians will continue to uplift in prayer the families affected by this heartbreaking tragedy,” Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in a tweet replying to Lee. “The Guardsmen who lost their lives today will be remembered as heroes. The people of Alabama stand with our neighbors in Tennessee.”