SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota National Guard lost contact with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter conducting a maintenance test flight. Later, the aircraft was found to have crashed in Marty, in southeastern Stearns County near Saint Cloud. Thursday evening, Governor Tim Walz announced that all three crew members aboard were killed.
State Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls), chair of the Minnesota House Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Division, issued the following statement:
“This is a crushing tragedy, and my deepest condolences go to the soldiers’ families, friends, and fellow members of the Minnesota National Guard. Every day, the citizen-soldiers in the guard use their highly specialized training to keep us safe. These soldiers make sacrifices to be away from their families for trainings, to respond to natural disasters, and to deploy across the globe. Yesterday, three of them sadly made the ultimate sacrifice.
“The Minnesota Aviation Rescue Team and other first responders deserve thanks for their rapid, coordinated efforts to quickly arrive on the scene. Answers will soon be sought to determine the cause of this crash. For now though, my thoughts and prayers are with the family members of those who lost their lives and everyone else affected by this enormous tragedy.”