WASHINGTON — A pilot had reported issues with a Black Hawk helicopter’s autopilot system sometime before that aircraft snagged transmission lines, crashed, and killed four military members last year, according to documents obtained by KIRO 7 News on Monday.
The helicopter crashed on Sept. 17, 2025, around 9:30 p.m.
The crash killed four people, all soldiers in the U.S. Army, including Sgt. Donovan Scott of Tacoma, Sgt. Jadalyn Good, U.S Army Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Cully.
“Their sacrifice in service to our nation will forever be etched in our hearts and in the legacy of the Night Stalkers. These heroes were not only elite professionals but also cherished teammates, friends, and family members whose absence leaves an immeasurable void,” a statement from Col. Stephen Smith said at the time.
The mission had the crew fly from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) to the Ocean Shores Airport and back. The crew was given a time constraint, according to the report.
“[Redacted] also recommended that one of the time-on-target missions be set deliberately behind so the crew could discuss techniques for making up time in flight when running behind schedule. A deliberately impossible hard time set for arrival would also allow the pilots the ability to observe indications within the [redacted], giving CWD Kraus the ability to focus on mission management training,” one part of the 275-page report read.
When leaving the Ocean Shores airport, the report notes the helicopter “departed the pre-planned route.”
The report notes that this was when Cully navigated between two converging ridgelines.
According to the report, wire hazards are known and frequently talked about, especially along the Columbia River. However, in interviews with several witnesses of varying sorts, investigators spoke to one person who appears to have piloted the Black Hawk in question just before the crash.
While the time frame is unclear, the report notes the person experienced “several concerning system malfunctions,” including an autopilot that flew at lower altitudes than what pilots desired.
“The autopilot coupled to uncommanded altitudes on two occasions - both times during climbs to newly assigned altitudes, coupling to altitudes several thousand feet lower than expected (around 3,000 feet instead of 5,000 feet),” the report said.
That person also noted that several radios were either not functional, not installed or disconnected on the aircraft. The person said they provide a “brief handover” to explain the deficiencies to the crews who later were involved in the crash, however, that person did not see the pilots had a face-to-face handoff and did not see the accident crew held their own pre-flight inspection, the report said.