Pentagon launches investigation into crash

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The military has opened an investigation into Saturday’s devastating helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan that killed 30 U.S. troops and eight Afghans.

Pentagon officials would not discuss the details of the probe, but it will no doubt address a host of questions surrounding the crash, including a look at the insurgent threat and the instructions given to the special-operations team crowded into the Chinook helicopter as it raced to assist other U.S. forces.

Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, has appointed Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt to lead the investigation. Colt is deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky.

The investigation will review a number of basic crash questions, more likely to rule out things such as the weather, terrain and mechanical issues, since military officials believe the helicopter was shot down.

It will then also look at the altitude and flight path of the Chinook as it moved into the fighting zone. Chinooks are heavy cargo helicopters that do not have the agility of smaller, more maneuverable aircraft.