WKRN – MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – Two 101st Airborne Division pilots died after their Apache helicopter crashed Wednesday night in Montgomery County.
The crewmembers were flying a two-seat AH-64D Apache during a routine training mission when the aircraft went down around 7 p.m. approximately 12 miles south of Fort Campbell.
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The helicopter was later found in a wooded area of Clarksville off Gholson Road near the Cumberland River. EMS officials told News 2 it was on fire when first responders located it near a river bottom.
The area has been secured by Fort Campbell Military Police in conjunction with Montgomery County authorities.
The 1,500 acre farm where the downed helicopter was found is owned by the family of Jill Arney, who witnessed the crash.
"I had just laid my daughter down to bed, just walked into back of house when I heard what I thought was a semi pulling up into the backyard," said Arney.
"We heard two booms, sounded like gunshots. We didn't think much of it but within probably 30 seconds to a minute started hearing all of these helicopters swarming by."
The cause of the accident has yet to be determined and the incident is currently under investigation by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center.
The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.