Chief warrant officers Andrew Cully and Andrew Kraus, and sergeants Donavon Scott and Jadalyn Good, died when their MH-60 Black Hawk crashed at about 9 p.m. on Wednesday, 17 September, west of Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. The Army released their names on Monday.
All four belonged to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the Night Stalkers, an elite unit known for night missions. They were on a routine training flight, according to U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The base lies about 10 miles south of Tacoma. The National Weather Service said skies were mostly clear with light winds from the south around the time of the crash, and the cause is still under investigation.
The four soldiers
Cully, 35, was from Sparta, Missouri. He was commissioned as an aviation officer in May 2013 out of Missouri State University and deployed for Operation Atlantic Resolve and Operation Swift Response.
Kraus, 39, of Sanibel, Florida, joined the Army in 2017. He supported multiple training missions and deployed in support of contingency response operations.
Scott, 25, from Tacoma, enlisted as a UH-60 helicopter repairer and served on two support missions to Operation Inherent Resolve.
Good, 23, from Mount Vernon, Washington, worked as a helicopter maintainer. The Army said she was “instrumental in the success” of numerous training missions.
All four earned multiple awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
Col. Stephen Smith said in the Army release that the soldiers “embodied the unwavering dedication, selflessness, and excellence that define the very spirit of the Army and Army Special Operations.” He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Night Stalker community during this profoundly difficult time.”
Earlier losses
It was the second deadly crash for the regiment in recent years. In 2023, five Army aviation special operations soldiers from the 160th, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, were killed during a routine air refueling training mission. In March 2024, two soldiers from the Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit were hospitalized when their Apache helicopter crashed on the base during a training exercise.
