U.S. State Dept. Helicopter Crashes In Iraq; Two Dead
July 18, 2009
BAGHDAD (Reuters) -- A helicopter contracted to the U.S. State Department has crashed near Baghdad, killing two crew members and injuring two other people on board, the U.S. Embassy said.
The helicopter went down on July 17 on the Butler Range Complex, a U.S. military training ground just east of Baghdad, it said.
"The crash of the helicopter is under investigation by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service," spokesman Armand Cucciniello said in an e-mail.
Air crashes are common in Iraq, where the U.S. military flies dozens of helicopters daily for use as armed cover and to ferry its troops to and from various bases.