ST. CLOUD, MN. (THECOUNT) — The three Minnesota National Guard soldiers killed in a helicopter crash Thursday have been identified as 28-year-old James A. Rogers Jr., 30-year-old Charles P. Nord, and 28-year-old Kort M. Plantenberg.
The National Guard announced on Thursday that they had “lost communication” with one of its helicopters based in St. Cloud, Minnesota Thursday, reports say. We later learned the craft crashed, killing all aboard.
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The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Kimball, which is about 16 miles west of St. Cloud. The soldiers were conducting a maintenance test flight, reports CBSMN.
The National Guard Public Affairs Office said they were searching for the helicopter at around 3 p.m. Thursday.
The FAA says it is aware of a missing UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that took off from the St. Cloud Airport. Its last known location was 10 miles southwest of the airport, report KARE.
According to a tweet, the unit had just returned from a 9-month deployment in the Middle East, “where they conducted medical evacuations in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve.”
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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Geo quick facts: St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state’s central region. Its population is 68,043 according to the 2018 US census estimates, making it Minnesota’s tenth largest city – Wikipedia.