ACTION GOING TOWARDS THOSE OIL
PRODUCERS, JACQUE.
>> Jacque: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Bill: 10:00 A.M. EAST COAST
TIME IN NEW YORK.
AN UPDATE AT FORT CAMPBELL
EXPECTED IN KENTUCKY.
TWO U.S. ARMY BLACKHAWK
HELICOPTERS CRASHED AT 10:00
LOCAL TIME LAST NIGHT.
ALL NINE CREW MEMBERS ARE LOST.
THE 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION WAS
CONDUCTING A ROUTINE TRAINING
MISSION WHEN THE CHOPPERS WENT
DOWN IN A FIELD 25 MILES FROM
THE MILITARY BASE.
EMERGENCY PERSONNEL FROM
MULTIPLE COUNTIES RESPONDED TO
THE CRASH SITE.
THIS IS THE HEARING WE’VE BEEN
WAITING FOR IN FORT CAMPBELL.
LET’S DROP ON IN HERE.
>> NO MORE TIME FOR QUESTIONS CONCLUDE THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
CONCLUDE THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
BRIGADIER GENERAL LEWIS.
>> GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE A
SUMMARY OF THE TRAINING ACCIDENT
THAT OCCURRED LAST NIGHT
INVOLVING AIRCRAFT FROM THE
101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION.
AT APPROXIMATELY 10:00 P.M. LAST
NIGHT TWO OF OUR BLACKHAWK
HELICOPTERS WERE INVOLVED IN A
CRASH DURING A PLANNED TRAINING
FLIGHT IN KENTUCKY THAT RESULTED
IN THE DEATH OF ALL NINE SERVICE
MEMBERS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT.
ON BEHALF OF MAJOR GENERAL
MCGEHEE AND COMMAND STAR MAJOR
KNAPP CURRENTLY DEPLOYED TO
SOUTHEAST EUROPE I WOULD LIKE TO
EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES
TO THE FAMILIES OF OUR FALLEN
SOLDIERS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS
OF NOTIFYING THEIR FAMILIES.
UNTIL THESE NOTIFICATIONS ARE
COMPLETE, WE ARE UNABLE TO
PROVIDE SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT
OUR SOLDIERS.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND
RESPECT OF THE PROCESS AND WE
WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAILS
ONCE ALL FAMILY MEMBERS ARE
NOTIFIED.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FIRST
RESPONDERS FROM TRIGG COUNTY AND
THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE FOR
THEIR RAPID AND PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSE AND FOR THEIR CONTINUED
SUPPORT.
THE ARMY HAS DEPLOYED AN
AIRCRAFT SAFETY TEAM FROM FORT
RUCKER, ALABAMA WHO WILL ARRIVE
LATER TODAY AND WILL IMMEDIATELY
INITIATE AN INVESTIGATION TO
HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSED
THIS CRASH IN ORDER TO PREVENT
ACCIDENTS LIKE THIS FROM
HAPPENING AGAIN.
THIS IS A TRULY TRAGIC LOSS FOR
OUR FAMILIES, OUR DIVISION, AND
FORT CAMPBELL.
OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS
CARING FOR THE FAMILIES AND THE
SOLDIERS WITHIN OUR COMBAT
AVIATION BRIGADE.
OUR ENTIRE FORT CAMPBELL
COMMUNITY IS SURGING RESOURCES
IN SUPPORT AND OUR THOUGHTS AND
PRAYERS ARE WITH THESE FAMILIES
AND THESE SOLDIERS DURING THIS
DIFFICULT TIME.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOVERNOR BESHEAR WOULD LIKE TO DELIVER
BESHEAR WOULD LIKE TO DELIVER
SOME SHORT REMARKS.
>> GOOD MORNING.
TODAY IS A TOUGH AND TRAGIC DAY
FOR KENTUCKY, FOR THE FORT
CAMPBELL AND FOR THE 101ST.
THE NINE INDIVIDUALS WE LOST ARE
CHILDREN OF GOD.
THEY WILL BE MOURNED AND MISSED
BY THEIR FAMILIES, BY THEIR
COMMUNITIES.
WE ARE BLESSED TO LIVE IN THE
FREEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF
PLANET EARTH BUT WE MUST
REMEMBER THAT THAT FREEDOM
RELIES ON THOSE WHO ARE WILLING
TO SERVE, SOME OF WHICH PAY THE
ULTIMATE PRICE.
WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT LOSS IN
KENTUCKY ESPECIALLY THESE LAST
THREE YEARS.
WE’LL DO WHAT WE ALWAYS DO, WE
ARE GOING TO WRAP OUR ARMS
AROUND THESE FAMILIES AND WE ARE
GOING TO BE THERE WITH THEM NOT
JUST FOR THE DAYS BUT THE WEEKS,
MONTHS AND YEARS TO COME.
WE WILL LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY
ARE LOVED, THEY ARE SPECIAL, AND
IF THEY WILL ALLOW US TO CARRY
SOME OF THEIR GRIEF, WE’LL DO
THAT FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN.
MY FAITH TEACHES ME THAT WHILE
THE BODY IS MORTAL, THE SOUL IS
ETERNAL AND WE WILL SEE THEM
AGAIN.
THIS MORNING I TALKED TO
GOVERNOR BILL LEE WHO EXPRESSED
HIS GRIEF FOR THIS LOSS AND HIS
SIMILAR COMMITMENT TO THESE
FAMILIES.
THERE ARE NO STATE LINES WHEN IT
COMES TO TAKING CARE OF THESE
FAMILIES AND HELPING THEM WITH
THEIR GRIEF.
FINALLY, I ALSO WANT TO THANK
THE FIRST RESPONDERS WHO CAME
FROM THE ENTIRE REGION THERE ON
THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY AFTER
THIS INCIDENT DOING EVERYTHING
THAT THEY COULD.
THE FIRST RESPONDERS INCLUDED
THE KENTUCKY STATE POLICE, TRIGG
COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT,
TRIGG AND CHRISTIAN COUNTY
SHERIFF’S OFFICES.
TRIGG AND MARSHALL COUNTY RESCUE
SQUADS, EAST GOLDEN POND AND
OTHER TRIGG COUNTY FIRE
DEPARTMENTS.
TRIGG COUNTY EMS AND THE
CHRISTIAN COUNTY EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT.
HERE IN KENTUCKY AND IN
TENNESSEE WE LOVE FORT CAMPBELL
AND LOVE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT
LIVE AND WORK HERE.
THEY ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
OF WHO WE ARE.
THEIR LOSS TODAY IS OUR LOSS.
AND WE ARE GOING TO STAND WITH
BOTH THOSE THAT ARE HERE TODAY
AND AGAIN WE ARE GOING TO MAKE
SURE THESE FAMILIES KNOW THEY
ARE LOVED AND THEY ARE NOT
ALONE.
THANK YOU.
>> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I’M
PREPARED TO ANSWER YOUR
QUESTIONS.
YES, MA’AM.
[[INAUDIBLE QUESTION]
>> THIS WAS A TRAINING
PROGRESSION AND THEY WERE FLYING
IN MULTI-SHIP FORMATION.
TWO SHIPS UNDER NIGHT VISION
GOGGLES AT NIGHT.
>> FOLKS FAMILIAR WITH THE
TRAINING EXERCISES, IS IT
TYPICAL TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE
ON A HELICOPTER.
HOW MANY WERE ON EACH HELICOPTER
AND IS IT COMMON?
>> IT WAS 5 AND 4 AND IT IS
FAIRLY TYPICAL.
THERE IS A PILOT.
CO-PILOT.
CREW CHIEF, MEDICS OR OTHER PERSONNEL ON THE AIRCRAFT AS
PERSONNEL ON THE AIRCRAFT AS
WELL.
YES, MA’AM.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANY -- [INAUDIBLE
QUESTION]
>> WE HAVE A SAFETY TEAM COMING
FROM FORT RUCKER, ALABAMA, WHO
SPECIALIZE IN AIRCRAFT SAFETY
AND THESE INVESTIGATIONS.
WE HOPE TO HAVE THEM ON THE
GROUND STIMULATES TODAY AND THEY
ARE BRINGING A VERY DIVERSE AND
TALENTED TEAM TO LOOK AT EVERY
POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
AND I THINK IN A SHORT TIME
WE’LL HAVE A MUCH BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAY HAVE
CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ACCIDENT.
YES, MA’AM.
>> [INAUDIBLE QUESTION].
>> YES, MA’AM, THANK YOU.
THEY WERE ALL BASED AT FORT
CAMPBELL IN THE 101ST AIRBORNE
DIVISION. YES, MA’AM.
YES, MA’AM.
[INAUDIBLE QUESTION].
>> YES, MA’AM, THEY WERE A
VARIANT OF THE BLACKHAWK.
IN THESE SPECIFIC AIRCRAFT, THEY
WERE MEDICAL EVACUATION
AIRCRAFT.
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THERE WERE
-- THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN
THEY WERE DOING FLYING, NOT
DELIBERATE MEDICAL EVACUATION
DRILLS.
CORRECT.
YES, MA’AM.
[INAUDIBLE QUESTION]
>> AT THIS POINT WE DON’T KNOW.
WE ARE HOPEFUL WHEN WE GET THE
TEAM FROM FORT RUCKER HERE AND
ARE ABLE TO PULL SOME OF THE
DATA OUT OF THE ON BOARD
COMPUTERS WE’LL HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDING OF EXACTLY WHAT
HAPPENED.
YES, MA’AM.
>> WAS THERE ANY SORT OF SIGNAL
--
>> NO, MA’AM.
YES, MA’AM.
>> [INAUDIBLE QUESTION].
>> YES, MA’AM.
DESPITE OUR LOSSES, WE WERE
LUCKY BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO
LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD ACROSS
FROM A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
SO THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO
ADDITIONAL CASUALTIES OR INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE
INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE
AIRCRAFT CRASH.
YES, SIR.
>> ARE THESE HELICOPTERS YOU
TALKED ABOUT GETTING DATA FROM
-- THE BLACKHAWKS -- [INAUDIBLE
QUESTION].
>> YES, SIR, THEY HAVE SOMETHING
VERY SIMILAR TO THE BLACK BOXES
THAT WE SEE ON THE LARGER
AIRCRAFT.
AND WE’RE HOPEFUL THAT WILL
PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF
INFORMATION OF WHAT OCCURRED.
YES, MA’AM.
>> [INAUDIBLE QUESTION].
>> YES, MA’AM, WE STARTED NEXT
OF KIN NOTIFICATION EARLY THIS
MORNING.
WE HAVE SOME FAMILY MEMBERS THAT
ARE IN THE LOCAL AREA THAT WE
WERE ABLE TO CONTACT FAIRLY
QUICKLY BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME
FAMILY MEMBERS ACROSS THE UNITED
STATES AND A FEW OUTSIDE OF THE
UNITED STATES.
THAT PROCESS IS ONGOING.
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO NOTIFY FAMILIES AS QUICKLY AS
WE CAN.
BUT I DON’T HAVE A GOOD
ESTIMATION ON WHEN THE FINAL
NOTIFICATIONS WILL OCCUR.
YES, SIR.
>> DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE AS TO
THE RAPID RESPONSE TIME?
THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT A
LOT.
THE AVERAGE TIME FORT CAMPBELL
--
>> I DON’T HAVE AN ACTUAL
RESPONSE TIME BUT I WILL TELL
YOU THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY
RESPONDED INCREDIBLY QUICKLY AND
IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED
COMMUNICATION WITH OUR
LEADERSHIP HERE AT FORT CAMPBELL
AND THEN JOINTLY WE WERE ABLE TO
SECURE THAT LOCATION AND GET THE
RIGHT FOLKS THERE TO START
HELPING AT THE SITE.
YES, MA’AM.
>> WAS THERE ANY TRANSPORT TO
MEDICAL FACILITIES NEARBY?
>> NO, MA’AM, THERE ARE NO
TRANSPORTS OFF THE CRASH SITE.
YES, SIR.
>> HOW WERE FOLKS MADE AWARE OF
THE CRASH?
WERE THEY BEING MONITORED BY
RAID ORR RADIO COMMUNICATION OR
PEOPLE IN THE AREA THAT CALLED
911?
>> WE HAD OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE
VICINITY SO WE WERE ACTUALLY
NOTIFIED VIA MULTIPLE MEANS.
ONE WAS THE TRIGG COUNTY FIRST
RESPONDERS WAS ONE OF THE CALLS
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD AIRCRAFT
THAT WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY MOVE
TO THAT LOCATION AND ACTUALLY
STAYED OVERHEAD FOR QUITE SOME
TIME.
>> I’LL TAKE TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
>> WHEN TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE OR
EVER DID SOMETHING LIKE THIS
HAPPEN AT FORT CAMPBELL?
>> THAT I WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW UP
WITH YOU.
I’M NOT SURE OF THE DATE OF THE
LAST ACCIDENT TO THIS EXTENT.
I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WITH AN
ANSWER.
>> GOING FORWARD HOW WILL YOU
TAKE EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO
INSURE THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN
AGAIN?
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION.
EVERYTHING WE DO, SAFETY IS
INTEGRATED INTO THIS.
FOR CONTEXT, WHEN WE DO ANY
TRAINING, BUT EPISCOPALRY
AVIATION PLANNING.
IT HAS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF
APPROVAL FROM THE COMMAND SO
WE’LL ALWAYS RELOOK OUR SAFETY
PRECAUTIONS AND MEASURES.
LIKE ALL THESE TRAINING EVENTS
SAFETY IS A PRIMARY FOCUS FOR