Army: 2 pilots killed when helicopter crashes near Fort Campbell in rural Tennessee

A police helicopter flies near the border between Greece and Macedonia, near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. Macedonian police stepped up the security at the border with Greece apparently trying to stem recent surge of migrants who are coming from Greece. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) A police helicopter flies near the border between Greece and Macedonia, near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. Macedonian police stepped up the security at the border with Greece apparently trying to stem recent surge of migrants who are coming from Greece. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

By Associated Press December 2, 2015 2 min read

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Two Army pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed near Fort Campbell in rural Tennessee, the military said.

The two crew members were flying a two-seat AH-64D Apache during a routine training mission when the helicopter went down around 7 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release from the Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

The helicopter was found in a river bottom and was on fire when first responders arrived, Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency Director Jerry Buchanan told Nashville newspaper The Tennessean.

Fort Campbell spokesman Maj. Allen Hill said he was aware of that report, but Army personnel on the ground said that was not the case. He said the crash occurred in a rural field near the Cumberland River. He confirmed that the helicopter was on fire when found.

The scene was secured by military police from Fort Campbell and Montgomery County law enforcement.