3 MN National Guard crew members killed in Black Hawk helicopter crash south of St. Cloud

Show Caption Hide Caption Gov. Walz, Guard leaders speak about Black Hawk helicopter crash Gov. Walz, Guard leaders give an update on the Black Hawk helicopter crash near St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD — All three crew members aboard a Minnesota National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter died Thursday after the helicopter crashed south of St. Cloud, according to Gov. Tim Walz.

The helicopter took off from St. Cloud about 1:55 p.m. and called mayday about nine minutes after takeoff. The base then lost contact with the aircraft.

The helicopter was found by a Minnesota State Patrol trooper just after 4 p.m. near Pearl Lake, just south of Marty and about 15 miles southwest of the departure point.

The crew member's names are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

"The state of Minnesota is forever in the debt of these warriors," Walz said during a news conference Thursday evening from the staging area in Marty.

Walz served in the Army National Guard before eventually becoming a teacher and coach.

"The coming days will be dark," he said, later adding, "These are brothers in arms."

The Army Aviation Center in Fort Rucker, Alabama, will lead the investigation and is expected to arrive in Central Minnesota tomorrow, Walz said.

Stearns County Chief Deputy Dan Miller said the county sent multiple fire and rescue units, along with units from Meeker County, on Thursday afternoon to search for the helicopter.

"We are going to be on scene for multiple days, assisting the Minnesota National Guard with the investigation," Miller said.

Brigadier General Sandy Best of the Minnesota National Guard said Thursday night that additional details of the crash will be released as they become available. She said the immediate priority is making sure the crew member's families are taken care of.

"Our Minnesota National Guard family is devastated by the death of these soldiers," Best said.

More: A Black Hawk helicopter crashed near St. Cloud: Here's what we know

More: 'Our thoughts are with the families and friends:' Officials react to helicopter crash

Minnesota National Guard tweeted the helicopter was "conducting a maintenance test flight that originated from St. Cloud, Minnesota."

Sky conditions at St. Cloud Regional Airport when the helicopter took off were clear with 10-mile visibility, according to the National Weather Service.

More: History of the Minnesota Guard helicopter base in St. Cloud

According to emergency scanner traffic, law enforcement got a rough idea of the crash site by pinging the location of crew members' cell phones in an attempt to locate the helicopter.

Walz canceled a tree-lighting ceremony Thursday to attend the press conference.

Times reporter Erik Newland contributed to this story.

The Minnesota National Guard and local emergency services are currently trying to determine the location and status of the aircraft. The helicopter had three Minnesota National Guard personnel on board. — MN National Guard (@MNNationalGuard) December 5, 2019

This is a developing story. Check back with St. Cloud Times for more updates.