Minnesota News Network

All three National Guard soldiers on a maintenance test flight were killed Thursday afternoon when their helicopter crashed into a farm field about 16 miles southwest of Saint Cloud. Governor Tim Walz fought back tears as he announced the deaths tonight at a news conference near the crash site. “As governor and as a citizen of this great state and as a veteran of the Minnesota Army National Guard, my heart breaks for the families, the friends and the fellow soldiers, ” the governor said. “The coming days will be dark and difficult. The state of Minnesota stands ready to assist the families of our fallen heroes.”

Brigadier General Sandy Best, Deputy Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard said, “On behalf of our adjutant general, Major General Jon Jensen, our Minnesota National Guard family is devastated by the death of these soldiers, and our priority right now is ensuring that our families are taken care of.”

Officials say investigators are en route from the Army Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The helicopter reportedly called in a “mayday” about nine minutes after taking off from the Minnesota National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility at Saint Cloud Airport. The wreckage was located near dusk, south of Cold Spring in a field near a tree line. Authorities say there are no homes in the area.

Senator Amy Klobuchar says the three soldiers’ service to the state and nation will never be forgotten. State Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says Minnesotans are united in grief and Thursday’s accident reminds us of the dangerous job we ask National Guard members to do on a daily basis. Majority Leader Ryan Winkler says the Minnesota House of Representatives “sends its deepest condolences to the families of the National Guard service members who passed away in this tragic accident.”

Here is raw audio of the press conference from earlier this evening:

The wreckage of a missing National Guard helicopter has been located in Stearns County, in a farm field near Kimball. There’s no official word about the three crewmembers who were on board, but air ambulances were reportedly called off. Master Sergeant Blair Huesdens says just after 2 p-m this afternoon, “The Minnesota National Guard lost contact with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while it was conducting a
maintenance test flight that originated from St. Cloud.” The helicopter reportedly called in a “mayday” about nine minutes after takeoff.

A spokesman says Governor Tim Walz is in communication with the Minnesota National Guard and will be at the Capitol to monitor the developing situation.

Rescue personnel are searching for a missing National Guard helicopter in Stearns County. Officials say at around 2:05 pm this afternoon, the Minnesota National Guard lost contact with a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter while it was conducting a maintenance test flight that originated from St. Cloud. The National Guard and local emergency services are currently trying to determine the location and status of the aircraft. The helicopter had three Minnesota National Guard personnel on board. In a statement, the Guard says “our first priority is the safety and well-being of our Guardsmen and our thoughts are with our soldiers and their families at this time.”

Minnesota has another state budget surplus — 1.3 billion dollars, according to the latest economic forecast just released. The surplus has bounced back: The last forecast in February showed it at just over one billion dollars, a third less than the previous number one year ago — but now the surplus has returned to that well-over-one-billion dollar range. Democrats will likely use that as an argument for a larger-than-usual bonding bill for state public works projects — while Republicans have been urging fiscal caution. There’s speculation that lawmakers could use part of the money to reimburse the federal government for 29-million-dollars in overpayments that the state made to Native American tribes. The tribes have said they can’t repay it.

Minnesota lawmakers find out this morning (9:15am, details at 11:15am) whether the state has another budget surplus or is back in deficit territory. Governor Tim Walz said earlier he thinks this latest economic forecast will show the state with a budget surplus. “Watching… nationally too, I saw that they ticked-up growth I believe to 2.1 percent for the last quarter. Every indication is… that Minnesota’s performing as it should,” Walz says.

The governor says a surplus would let the state put a little more into the “rainy day” budget reserve. Walz argues that would allow Minnesota to “go into a bonding bill in a secure position.” Democrats are pushing for a larger-than-usual amount of borrowing for state public works projects, citing favorable interest rates. Senate Republicans have resisted that, urging more fiscal caution.