US Army Helicopter Ends up on a Columbia River Bank

A United States Army helicopter ended up on the banks of the Columbia River in Grant County this past weekend.

According to the United States Army and their 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, a US Army Apache Helicopter was flying a routine training exercise when the chopper struck some powerlines, which forced the craft to land hard on the banks of the Columbia River near Beverly, Washington in Grant County on Saturday.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office responded to the incident and reported that the clipped power lines from the helicopter fell across State Route 243, prompting a highway closure at Mile Post 18 on Saturday. The aircraft incident also caused a wildfire near the scene. After the fire was under control, the roadway re-opened later that evening.

The two Apache helicopter pilots were evacuated to the Yakima Training Center and evaluated by military medical personnel. The incident is still being investigated by military personnel.