The U.S Navy confirmed Tuesday that four servicemen were killed in a helicopter crash on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
The event occurred shortly after 10 a.m. local time Tuesday at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, a naval site on Kauai, Hawaii.
According to the Pacific Missile Range Facility's public affairs office, the helicopter, a Sikorsky S-61N, was supporting a training operation at the Navy facility when it crashed on its northern end.
Croman Corporation, a contractor that provides range support services to PMRF, operated the Sikorsky, the facility stated in a statement.
When it crashed, it was assisting with a "range training exercise." According to a tweet from the National Transportation Safety Board, the agency is investigating the event.
In a report by The Associated Press, it said the PMRF is a Navy installation where the U.S. military conducts missile defense technology tests.
Between 1959 and 1980, Sikorsky Aircraft, which is now a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, manufactured the Sikorsky S-61N.
It was meant to carry a substantial weight of freight or passengers. According to the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives website, one variant was built to accommodate up to 30 passengers.
A Navy official stated emergency workers responded to the collision. The identities of those killed have not been published at this time.
According to a representative for Kauai County, county police and firefighters responded and assisted the military.
Coco Zickos, a county spokesperson, said Kauai police assisted the Navy with perimeter security and investigation support.
The US Navy said the Pacific Missile Range Facility is the world's "biggest instrumented multi-environmental range capable of simultaneously supporting surface, subsurface, air, and space missions."
The facility encompasses over 1,100 square miles of instrumented underwater range and over 42,000 square miles of controlled airspace.
The helicopters were designed specifically for usage over water, such as supporting oil rig activities. All branches of the United States military also used other variants.
The aircraft has also been manufactured by licensees in the United Kingdom and other nations.
The announcement comes in the wake of a spate of high-profile helicopter crashes in the United States. Two persons were hurt in a crash near Miami Beach over the weekend.
On Saturday in California, a Huntington Beach police officer was killed in a helicopter crash. On Tuesday, another helicopter crashed near a Utah ski resort, but no one was seriously injured.
The collision occurred during a session of "winter survivability and mobility training," according to the Utah National Guard.
There were no injuries to the crew, although both helicopters sustained damage.
