Helo Part Of Training Exercise

A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed on takeoff Monday from the campus of Texas A&M University, killing one person and injuring at least four others.

KTBX-3 in College Station reports five people were onboard the Black Hawk -- four members of the Army National Guard and one ROTC member who is a recent graduate of the university. The helicopter was part of a five-ship training exercise, that had landed earlier in the day in a field near the Corps of Cadets quad.

The accident helicopter was reportedly the last aircraft to depart the area, and crashed just before 3:00 pm CST. Photos from the scene indicate the helicopter came down on its tail boom, with the cabin section largely intact.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle reported the accident helicopter entered a rotational spin as it attempted to take off. "All of the sudden he dropped straight back down into the ground," said witness Scot Walker.

Identities of those onboard the Black Hawk, including the name of the person killed, were not released as of Monday evening. Two of those injured were still in critical condition at area hospitals.

The helicopter were reportedly participating in the university's winter field training exercise, an annual event in which military personnel work with members of the Corps of Cadets. No current A&M students were injured in the crash, the school noted.

FMI: www.armyrotc.com, www.tamu.edu/