Helicopter crashes near US naval base, killing 4

 

Four people were killed when a contractor's helicopter crashed near a naval base on the island of Kwai in the US state of Hawaii.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility said the helicopter crashed north after 10 a.m., killing all on board and no one has been named, according to the foreign news agency The Guardian.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility said in a press release that the helicopter was flown by Croman Corporation for a training operation.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that the agency was investigating the wrecked helicopter Skorsky S61N.

The Skorsky S61N helicopter was built by Skorsky aircraft between 1959 and 1980, and is now part of Lockheed Martin. This helicopter was designed to carry cargo or 30 passengers.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility said an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility is a naval base on the west coast of Kwai where missile defense technology is tested and various units conduct exercises.