Four killed after US military helicopter crashes in Britain

An investigation has begun after four crew members died when a US military helicopter crashed in Norfolk on a training mission.

The Pave Hawk from RAF Lakenheath was taking part in a low-flying training exercise when it came down in a nature reserve in Cley-next-the-Sea around 7pm yesterday.

Emergency services have been working at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.

Residents told of hearing a “heavy and very unusual” sound overhead as the helicopter – which specialises in recovering troops from war zones – plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.

The aircraft was carrying munitions at the time of the crash and police said they were investigating the nature of the weaponry, which may pose a risk to the public.

Norfolk Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Hamlin said: “I would like to pass on my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of those US Air Force personnel who have sadly lost their lives in this tragic incident.

“Emergency services, the military, partner agencies and volunteers have been working through the night to deal with this difficult situation on our coastline and I would also like to thank them for their professionalism and resilience.

“As our inquiry moves on today and the recovery of the aircraft begins, I would urge the public to stay away from the area – the cordon and road closures are in place to allow our experts to carry out these processes safely and there is no risk to members of the public if this section of marshland is avoided.”

A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist, and remains at the scene while the investigation continues.

Inquiries into the cause of the crash, as well as the recovery of the wreckage and the second aircraft, are expected to take a number of days to complete, due to the geography and the munitions from the crashed helicopter.

A police spokesman said that an environmental assessment will also take place.

A 400m cordon protects the crash site and the A149 through Cley is closed.

Details of the four crew members will not be released until next of kin have been informed and it is not believed that anyone in the surrounding area has been injured, police said.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter was on a training mission from nearby RAF Lakenheath – a base for the US Air Force – which lies on the Suffolk Norfolk border, around 50 miles from the crash site.

The 48th Air Wing of the US Air Force tweeted last night: “We can confirm that one of our HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters was involved in an incident during a training mission outside Cley-next-the-Sea.”

A spokesman for the base later said: “The aircraft, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing, was on a low-level training mission when the crash occurred.”

A derivative of the more famous Black Hawk helicopter, the Pave Hawk gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

They are used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel in theatres of war.

They have a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops. Typically, training flights would replicate as closely as possible real missions which would mean weapons and ammunition would be carried.