The helicopter struck transmission lines and crashed at about 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2025, killing four soldiers: Sgt. Donovan Scott of Tacoma, Sgt. Jadalyn Good, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Kraus and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Cully.

The crew’s mission took them from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Ocean Shores Airport and back. The report describes a schedule pressure exercise: a supervisor recommended setting an intentionally difficult arrival time so the crew could discuss how to recover time when behind schedule. The report also says the exercise was intended to give Kraus an opportunity to practice mission management.

After departing Ocean Shores, the helicopter left its planned route. Cully then navigated between two ridgelines that were converging, according to the report. Investigators noted that wire hazards are well known to military aviators and are frequently discussed, particularly along the Columbia River.

The report recounts an earlier flight on the same aircraft by a person whose identity and the timing of the flight were unclear. That pilot described several system problems, including two occasions when the autopilot selected an altitude thousands of feet below the one intended during climbs — about 3,000 feet rather than 5,000 feet. The pilot also reported that some radios were not working, were not installed or were disconnected.

The person said they gave the later crews a brief handover about the aircraft’s deficiencies. But the report says the person did not witness a face-to-face handoff with the crash crew or see that crew conduct its own preflight inspection. The report’s account of prior problems does not, by itself, show that those issues caused the fatal crash.

The deaths prompted tributes from Army officials. Col. Stephen Smith said the soldiers were elite professionals and valued teammates, friends and family members whose absence left an immeasurable void.