Soldiers killed in Black Hawk crash ID’d - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

Soldiers killed in Black Hawk crash ID’d

The Army on Friday released the names of three soldiers who were killed during a training flight in Germany on Feb. 3.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gary M. Farwell, 39; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Clayton M. Hickman, 32; and Spc. Matthew E. Clark, 25, died when their UH-60 Black Hawk crashed into the woods northeast of Mannheim, Germany, near the A67 highway between Viernheim and Lorsch, while approaching Coleman Army Airfield.

The soldiers had been attached to G Company, 52nd Regiment, 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, based in Stuttgart. All three had been with the unit for 12 months or fewer. Memorial services are being planned for the soldiers, but no details have been announced.

Army investigators have not left the site of the crash, which happened at about 6:45 p.m. Central European Time, since arriving on scene. The Army called on investigators from its Combat Readiness Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., to determine the cause.

Army spokesman Maj. Daniel Myers would not speculate on the cause of the crash or on the details of the training flight.

Brig. Gen. Michael A. Ryan, deputy commanding general, V Corps, thanked the German police and firefighters for their prompt response to the accident and, in a statement, extended his condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

"The loss of these brave and dedicated Soldiers is devastating for all of us," Ryan said.

A Black Hawk crashed in August near Mount Massive in Colorado, killing all four soldiers aboard. The Army cited human error in that case because the crew attempted a landing at an altitude beyond the UH-60’s performance limits.