Army helicopter makes ‘hard landing’ after hitting power lines at Columbia River

GRANT COUNTY, Wash. — An army helicopter was forced to make a “hard landing” at the Columbia River after hitting power lines according to the Grant County Sheriff’s office.

State Route 243 was closed in both directions four miles north of Mattawa because of the downed power lines.

The two crew members were okay, but the crash sparked a wildfire.

Since the crash, the fire has been extinguished and the road has been reopened.

Joint Base Lewis McChord sent a statement to KIRO 7 after the accident:

An aviation mishap occurred in Grant County, Wash. on the evening of Sep. 29, 2023, involving a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopter assigned to 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade during a routine training exercise. There were no fatalities, but both pilots were evacuated to Yakima Training Center for evaluation by military medical personnel.

The incident is still under investigation.

This is an ongoing story. We will provide updates when more information becomes available.

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