Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Investigation Under Way to Find Out What Caused Chopper to Go Down
Aired March 12, 2003 - 07:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our other big story this morning, and that is the tragic crash of a Black Hawk in upstate New York. An investigation now under way to find out exactly what caused the chopper to go down at Fort Drum during a training mission.
Let's check in with Jason Carroll, who is standing by about Fort Drum with the very latest on the investigation -- good morning, Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Paula.
Thirteen soldiers were on board. At this point, all of them have been identified. There were only two survivors. The Black Hawk down crashed in clear weather, unlike today, and there was no early indication that something was wrong.
Early this morning, there was a flag raising ceremony here at Fort Drum. Flags were raised to half staff and it was an emotional moment. Some of the soldiers taking part in that emotionally crying during that particular ceremony.
Investigators also this morning are out at the crash site, still trying to determine exactly what went wrong. The Black Hawk was taking part in a routine training exercise with two other helicopters. We're told that they were flying in some sort of a triangle formation and were actually on their way back to Fort Drum. At about 2:00, radio contact was lost. At about 3:30, rescue crews spotted the wreckage in a heavily wooded area near an air strip on the base.
Many of the troops here at Fort Drum have already been deployed overseas for a potential war with Iraq. A military spokesperson talked about how this accident here at home will affect morale.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. BRYAN HILFERTY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER: It makes you, you know, sober, sober as you think about how young people could get killed or injured and it makes you realize your own mortality. But I don't think it changes what we do or the morale of the soldiers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The investigation is being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Command. That is the Army's equivalent of the FBI. We're told it could be days, even weeks, before a determination of the crash is found. Also, we can give you an update on those two survivors. We are told at this point one is in critical condition, the other in serious condition -- Paula.
ZAHN: Jason, keep us posted on the investigation.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Go Down>
Aired March 12, 2003 - 07:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our other big story this morning, and that is the tragic crash of a Black Hawk in upstate New York. An investigation now under way to find out exactly what caused the chopper to go down at Fort Drum during a training mission.
Let's check in with Jason Carroll, who is standing by about Fort Drum with the very latest on the investigation -- good morning, Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Paula.
Thirteen soldiers were on board. At this point, all of them have been identified. There were only two survivors. The Black Hawk down crashed in clear weather, unlike today, and there was no early indication that something was wrong.
Early this morning, there was a flag raising ceremony here at Fort Drum. Flags were raised to half staff and it was an emotional moment. Some of the soldiers taking part in that emotionally crying during that particular ceremony.
Investigators also this morning are out at the crash site, still trying to determine exactly what went wrong. The Black Hawk was taking part in a routine training exercise with two other helicopters. We're told that they were flying in some sort of a triangle formation and were actually on their way back to Fort Drum. At about 2:00, radio contact was lost. At about 3:30, rescue crews spotted the wreckage in a heavily wooded area near an air strip on the base.
Many of the troops here at Fort Drum have already been deployed overseas for a potential war with Iraq. A military spokesperson talked about how this accident here at home will affect morale.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. COL. BRYAN HILFERTY, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER: It makes you, you know, sober, sober as you think about how young people could get killed or injured and it makes you realize your own mortality. But I don't think it changes what we do or the morale of the soldiers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The investigation is being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Command. That is the Army's equivalent of the FBI. We're told it could be days, even weeks, before a determination of the crash is found. Also, we can give you an update on those two survivors. We are told at this point one is in critical condition, the other in serious condition -- Paula.
ZAHN: Jason, keep us posted on the investigation.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Go Down>
