Crash of military helicopter at Talkeetna Airport injures 2 soldiers

Two soldiers were injured Sunday afternoon when a military helicopter crashed at the Talkeetna Airport, authorities say.

Four AH-64 Apache helicopters departed Fort Wainwright on Sunday and were headed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for training, said John Pennell, a U.S. Army Alaska spokesman. One of the helicopters stopped in Talkeetna to refuel and crashed during takeoff around 2:30 p.m., he said.

The helicopter rolled over during the crash, according to Pennell.

The two soldiers onboard were injured, but Pennell said they had both been treated and released by Monday afternoon. One soldier was flown to a hospital for a shoulder laceration and the other was taken to a hospital by ground ambulance, he said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to crash, Pennell said. Investigators from the Army Combat Readiness Center will travel to Talkeetna on Wednesday or Thursday to inspect the wreckage before it’s moved from the area, Pennell said. The National Transportation Safety Board will not be investigating the crash because it is in the hands of the military, according to Clint Johnson, the agency’s Alaska chief.

The soldiers were with the 25th Combat Aviation Battalion at Fort Wainwright.