Military Chopper Just Crashed… Two Soldiers Dead in California Incident

A U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crashed in the predawn hours early Saturday while flying a routine training mission at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in California.

Both the pilot and the co-pilot were killed, according to Lt. Col. Jason S. Brown, a spokesman for the Army at the Pentagon.

“The cause is currently under investigation and next-of-kin notifications are ongoing, therefore we can provide no further details at this time,” he said in a statement to Fox News.

The Apache gunship was flying a “readiness training exercise” at the time of the crash, according to a separate official.

The helicopter was attached to the Army’s 4th Infantry Division based out of Fort Carson, Colorado. It had been sent to California as part of a regular training rotation in the California desert, the official added.

The crash occured hours after the government shutdown, but officials say that did not play a role in the accident.

The AH-64 Apache is armed with hellfire missiles, rocket pods as well as a 30mm chain gun.

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