JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — A soldier from Colorado Springs was one of the three officers killed in a mid-air collision between two Army helicopters in the skies above Alaska Thursday.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle D. McKenna, 28, of Colorado Springs, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo, 39, of Oneonta, New York, and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment, 32, of North Logan, Utah perished in the crash.
A fourth soldier was admitted to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash and was last listed in stable condition.
The soldiers were stationed with the 1st Attack Battalion, 25th Aviation at Fort Wainwright. They were returning from a training mission in the Donnelly Training Area when the collision occurred roughly 50 miles east of the town of Healy Thursday afternoon.
Aviators with the 1st Battalion, 52 Aviation Regiment, and the Alaska National Guard responded to the emergency.
Lt. Col. Matthew C. Carlsen, the 1-25th AB commander, said the battalion is devastated and mourning the loss of three of our best.
"Our loss, however, cannot be compared to the suffering and loss which the family members of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Chris Eramo, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kyle McKenna and Warrant Officer 1 Stewart "Stew" Wayment are experiencing," Lt. Col. Carlsen said.
He added the entire team is focused on the families and survivors with a mission to honor and cherish their memories.
"Chris, Kyle, and Stew will forever be 'Little Bears,' 'Vikings,' and 'ToughOnes' of the Arctic Attack," said Carlsen.
A Safety Investigation Team from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is leading the crash investigation.
Maj. Gen Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, called the loss of the Soldiers devastating.
"The families of Fort Wainwright and 1-25 are as strong a team as I've ever seen. Our hearts are heavy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends, and loved ones of the fallen," Eifler said.
The Federal Aviation Administration has restricted air traffic near the crash site through May 4.
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