The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The U.S. military announced on Monday the names of four servicemembers who tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash during a training exercise close to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).
The incident occurred on the night of September 17 near Summit Lake, a location just outside Olympia, during what officials described as a “routine flight training.” Deputies discovered the crash site Wednesday night, situated roughly 20 minutes west of Olympia and 30 minutes from JBLM. However, they were forced to pull back due to a fire near the crash site and were unable to investigate further.
The servicemembers who died were: Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, 35, from Sparta, Missouri; Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, 39, from Sanibel, Florida; Sgt. Donavon Scott, 25, from Tacoma; and Sgt. Jadalyn Good, 23, from Mount Vernon.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of four heroic Night Stalkers from the 4th Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), who perished on Sept. 17th during a training mission,” stated Col. Stephen Smith, the commander. “These remarkable soldiers—Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Cully, Chief Warrant Officer Three Andrew Kraus, Sgt. Donavon Scott, and Sgt. Jadalyn Good—personified the steadfast loyalty, altruism, and excellence that are the hallmarks of the Army and Army Special Operations. Their sacrifice in service to our country is deeply mourned and will be forever remembered in the Night Stalkers’ legacy. These individuals were not only outstanding professionals but also valued teammates, friends, and family whose absence is deeply felt.”
Cully was assigned to C Company at JBLM in 2024, where he supported multiple training missions and was deployed in the Army’s Indo-Pacific theater.
Kraus joined C Company in 2023 and performed multiple training missions as well as deployed “in support of contingency response operations.”
Scott held the role of a Blackhawk MH-60 crew chief in C Company, with a flying record of over 776 hours, including participation in two support operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Good was likewise a crew chief for the MH-60 in C Company, accumulating over 730 flight hours. She also took part in numerous training exercises and a crisis response contingency operation.
The Army thanked local first responders who assisted in the recovery of the victims, including the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, the Griffin Fire Department, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Lacey Fire Department, the Olympia Fire Department, and the Department of Natural Resources in addition to various JBLM units.
