Tennessee National Guard Black Hawk crashes in Alabama, 2 people dead

There are no survivors after a military helicopter carrying two people on a routine training mission crashed onto an Alabama highway Wednesday, officials said.

The Black Hawk aircraft crashed around 3 p.m. near Highway 53 and Burwell Road in Harvest, about 10 miles northeast of Huntsville, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.

The helicopter caught fire upon impact, and both passengers died, military officials said.

The helicopter belonged to the Tennessee National Guard and was on a routine training mission, the National Guard Bureau told CBS News. Team Redstone, a US Army unit near the crash site, confirmed the helicopter was not one of theirs.

There are few details about the fiery crash — the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that a military aircraft was involved in the accident, but could not provide any further information.

The UH-60 Black Hawk can typically fit up to about 14 people, according to Military.com.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Videos taken at the scene show a thick plume of black smoke billowing from what appears to be a median on the highway.

A bright fire can be seen burning near the ground.

Footage taken miles from the scene shows the heavy smog floating hundreds of feet in the sky above homes.

Officials plan to block the highway for several “days,” Phil Vandiver, a Madison County Commissioner, said.