The U.S. Air Force has identified four crew members who died Tuesday night when their helicopter crashed on the northeast coast of England during a training mission.
Killed were:
-Capt. Christopher Stover
-Capt. Sean Ruane
-Tech Sgt. Dale Mathews
-SSgt. Afton Ponce
According to the Air Force, Stover and Ruane were the pilots on the fatal mission, and Mathews and Ponce were the special mission aviators.
The Pentagon Channel reported the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, crashed into the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve on the northeast coast of England during training.
Col. Kyle Robinson, the 48th Fighter Wing commander, said of the tragic crash:
"We continue to think of the loved ones who are experiencing such a tragic, sudden loss. The Liberty Wing feels as though it has lost members of its family, and we stand by to support one another and these Airmen's families during this difficult time."
The Telegraph UK reports authorities are looking into the possibility a bird strike caused the chopper to go down.
