US Army helicopters crash on base, four soldiers dead

US Army officials said it remained unclear Tuesday whether two helicopters that crashed Monday, killing four soldiers, collided during their training flight in Washington state or crashed separately. Lieutenant Colonel Gary Dangerfield said officials are still notifying families of the victims. Names will not be made public until 24 hours after family notification.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is one of the largest bases in the US, with about 100,000 military and civilian personnel. The Army said the reconnaissance choppers crashed after 8 pm in the south-west training area of the sprawling base. "We don't have details on what actually occurred," base spokesman J.C. Mathews said late Monday. "That will be part of the investigation."