Helo Hit Power Line In Heavy Fog

Military investigators are on scene in northern Alabama, where a US Army UH-60 Black Hawk hit a power line and crashed Tuesday in low-visibility conditions.

The Associated Press reports three persons onboard the Black Hawk were killed. The helicopter was operating on a training mission out of Fort Campbell, KY to Chattanooga, TN.

Names of the victims were not immediately released, but officials said those onboard were members of the 101st Aviation Regiment, 4th Battalion.

Jackson County coroner David Jordan told the AP the helicopter struck a power line, and impacted a field near a house Tuesday at approximately 1815 local time.

"There was fog in the area at the time, but I don't know if that was the cause," said Jordan. The fog also prevented a medevac helicopter to fly to the scene of the accident, he added.

The power line -- connecting a generating plant to a power substation near Huntsville -- was not carrying electricty at the time of the accident.

Base spokesman Sgt. Mark Swart did not comment on possible causes of the accident. "We'll have an investigation. We can't speculate on what happened," he said.

NOTAM 7/6760 is in effect over the accident site.

FMI: www.army.mil