4 crew members dead after helicopter crashes at Fort Hood

FORT HOOD, TX -- Four people were killed when a helicopter crashed during a training exercise at Fort Hood in Texas, U.S. Army officials said.

The Black Hawk went down about 6 p.m. Monday in the northeast portion of the sprawling military post about 60 miles north of Austin.

Emergency crews conducted an extensive search of the area before finding the wreckage and the crew members dead at the scene, according to a Fort Hood statement.

Post officials did not release the names of the victims, saying Tuesday that their identities would be made public 24 hours after the families have been notified. Officials said the crew was assigned to Division West, First Army, and was on a routine training mission when the helicopter crashed.

The cause of the crash was unknown and Fort Hood officials said a panel would be assigned to investigate.

No further details were available.

Fort Hood covers 214,000 acres, making it one of the largest Army posts in the country. More than 135,000 acres are reserved for training purposes.