By Mosheh Gains and Dennis Romero -
NBC News
Two members of the armed forces died during a training flight this Friday when their attack helicopter crashed near the small town of Booneville, Mississippi, Governor Tate Reeves said.
“Mississippi
will always be grateful for your service
and we will never forget you,” Reeves said in a message on the X social network.
An AH-64 Apache helicopter, in Mississippi in 2021.DVIDS file
The ship, a two-seat AH-64 Apache, was conducting a routine training flight when the accident was reported around 2:00 p.m. (local time), the Mississippi National Guard said in a statement.
Prentiss County Sheriff Rady Tolar told NBC affiliate WLBT in Jackson that
the plane went down near Highway 30
near Mount Olive Baptist Church.
[USA. depends on this aircraft for its military operations. But it crashes frequently and dozens have died]
The church is in the town of Baldwyn, which is located in Prentiss and Lee counties in northeastern Mississippi.
Baldwyn is about 7 miles south of Booneville.
The incident is the subject of an “active response,” the Mississippi National Guard said.