Chinook crash kills 5 soldiers in Iraq

Chinook crash kills 5 soldiers in Iraq

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 21:32:08 EDT

A helicopter crash in southern Iraq claimed the lives of five soldiers, the Army announced in a news release late Wednesday.

The crash marked the first time in a year that a helicopter crash in Iraq claimed U.S. lives, and only the third time in Iraq that a Chinook has had a fatal incident.

According to the Multi-National Corps Iraq release, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter made a hard landing around 12:01 a.m. Thursday about 65 miles west of Basra.

The heavy lift helicopter was part of an “aerial convoy” that was flying from Kuwait to Balad, about 45 miles north of Baghdad, when it made the landing.

A quick reaction force was dispatched from Basra and a road convoy in the area was diverted to the scene, the release said.
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