U.S. Copter Crash Kills 2 in Iraq
A U.S. military helicopter crashed into the Euphrates River near Haditha, Iraq, on Wednesday, killing its two pilots.
Witnesses said the craft was burning as it went down after an explosion, but the military said the cause of the crash was not known.
The U.S. military has lost 15 helicopters, mostly to hostile fire, since the occupation began in May. Sixty-two Americans have died in the incidents.
The OH-58 Kiowa helicopter from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, based at Ft. Carson, Colo., was lying on its side in the Euphrates, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, a U.S. military spokesman.
The deaths brought to 547 the number of U.S. service members who have died since President Bush launched the Iraq war on March 20.
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