Salvador Rebels Killed Copter Crew on Ground

A U.S. military source said today the three-member crew of a U.S. helicopter was shot to death by rebels after safely landing their helicopter, which had been hit by rebel fire.

The Pentagon said in a brief statement that the UH-1H Huey transport helicopter was shot down by small arms fire about five miles north of Lolotique, in eastern El Salvador.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said an investigation was under way but that “there is some evidence that they were killed directly by gunfire,” presumably after the craft came down.

A Pentagon source said the crew “managed to get the aircraft down all right” but were then shot to death.

The Pentagon confirmed that the three U.S. Army crew members, assigned to the 4th Battalion of the 228th Aviation Regiment and based in Panama, were killed.

The aircraft was on a routine mission returning from San Salvador to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, the U.S. statement said. It gave no other details of the shooting.

The bodies were recovered by El Salvadoran armed forces and taken to San Salvador, the Pentagon said.

The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front rebel organization said the guerrillas did not know they were shooting down a U.S. helicopter.