Army
Identifies 4 Soldiers Killed in Military Helicopter Crash in Washington State
The main flagpole in front of the U.S. Army I Corps
headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Tacoma, Wash., hangs at
half-staff, Wednesday, December 5, 2018. (Ted S. Warren/AP File Photo)
Posted: September 23, 2025 --- Associated
Press
Published September 22, 2025, at 10:16am ET
TACOMA, Washington — The Army has released the names of four soldiers killed Wednesday when the military helicopter they were on crashed near a base in Washington state. The victims are chief warrant officers Andrew Cully and Andrew Kraus, and sergeants Donavon Scott and Jadalyn Good. Cully, 35, was from Sparta, Missouri. Kraus, 39, was from Sanibel, Florida. Scott, 25, was from Tacoma, Washington, and Good, 23, was from Mount Vernon, Washington.
The helicopter was on a routine flight training west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The base is about 10 miles south of Tacoma under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Joint Base Headquarters. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The skies in the area were mostly clear with light winds from the south around the time of the crash.
The soldiers "embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations,” Colonel Stephen Smith said. They were part of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, an elite team that does nighttime missions, when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed about 9pm. The regiment’s mission is to organize, equip and employ Army special operations aviation forces around the world, according to the Army’s website.
"Known as Night Stalkers, these soldiers are recognized for their proficiency in nighttime operations,” the website said. "They are highly trained and ready to accomplish the very toughest missions in all environments, anywhere in the world, day or night, with unparalleled precision.” This was the 2nd deadly crash of this elite unit in recent years. 5 Army aviation special operations forces were killed when a helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2023 during a routine air refueling mission as part of military training.
They were all part of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. In March 2024, 2 soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord SOAR unit were hospitalized when their Apache helicopter crashed at the base during a routine training exercise.
