Two soldiers died when their AH-64 Apache attack helicopter belonging to the Mississippi Army National Guard crashed Friday afternoon, according to a press release.
The crash occurred southwest of Booneville, Mississippi, in rural southern Prentiss County.
Lt. Col. Deidre Smith, the state’s public affairs director, said the helicopter went down at approximately 2 p.m. CST during a “routine training flight.”
The spokesperson said one of the deceased soldiers was from A Company, 1st Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, and the second was assigned to D Company, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment.
Smith added that “safety crews are currently working the scene of the accident with local authorities.”
The Mississippi crash is the second Apache crash this month and the third known Apache accident since an Army-wide aviation safety stand down in April 2023.
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An Apache helicopter from the Utah National Guard went down near Salt Lake City on Feb. 12, injuring the National Guard soldier and Air Force pilot who were aboard. In May 2023, two pilots from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade were injured when their Apache crashed near Yakima Training Center, Washington.
Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.
