By Canadian Press

Guard: Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Minnesota; 3 aboard

Dec 5, 2019 | 3:13 PM

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A Black Hawk helicopter with three crew members aboard crashed Thursday in central Minnesota, a state National Guard official said.

Minnesota National Guard Master Sgt. Blair Heusdens told the St. Cloud Times the UH-60 crashed near Pearl Lake after it lost contact with the base Thursday afternoon.

The Guard lost contact with the helicopter shortly after taking off on a maintenance test flight from St. Cloud on Thursday afternoon, Heusdens said. The helicopter called mayday about 9 minutes after takeoff.

“Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our Guardsmen and our thoughts are with our soldiers and their families at this time,” Heusdens said in a statement before the crash was confirmed.

The Guard’s base near St. Cloud Regional Airport has been in operation since 2009, with Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters maintained there.

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Gov. Tim Walz cancelled a tree-lighting ceremony, and a spokesman said he was in contact with the Guard and monitoring developments from the Capitol. Walz served for 24 years the Army National Guard, while he was a schoolteacher and coach, but retired in 2005 to run for Congress.”

The St. Cloud Times reports the Minnesota State Patrol was called to bring in a helicopter to help with the search. A State Patrol Cirrus aircraft, equipped with thermal imaging cameras, is also helping in the search.

The Associated Press