Five Based in NAS Jacksonville Killed in Nevada Helicopter Crash

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Navy investigators are now at the scene of a deadly helicopter crash. It happened near Austin, Nevada. On board were 5 crew members from NAS Jax. The Navy says the helo hit a power line during a training flight.

The names of the crew members haven't been released yet.

"These particular crew members were very well trained, and they'd been overseas for rescue missions there. This was nothing new to them. That's why we wonder whether it was a mechanical defect that might have caused the problem," said Donald Maciejewski, a board certified aviation law attorney.

At least one family member of one of the crew members has already contacted Maciejewski for advice. But Navy survivor assistance officers will be sent to the families to help them with anything they need.

According to the Department of Defense, wire strikes are the number one cause of helicopter accidents. The NAS JAX spokesperson says there's no indication a call for mayday was made. That may be because, according to the DOD, wire strikes usually don't offer enough time for the pilot to react. And even with sophisticated GPS equipment, wires are hard to detect.

The Navy investigation should be completed in the next 3 to 6 months.

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