Guard Helicopter crashes near Buffalo River south of Yellville

CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, N.Little Rock, Ark: — A helicopter from the Arkansas National Guard has gone down this afternoon in the vicinity of Buffalo Point on the Buffalo National River.

At approximately 1:30 this afternoon a OH-58 Helicopter with the Arkansas National Guard’s Reconnaissance Air Interdiction Detachment based at Camp Robinson went down along the Searcy-Marion County line in North Central Arkansas in the vicinity of Buffalo Point on the Buffalo National River.

The aircraft was carrying three onboard.  The pilot, an Arkansas National Guardsman; a member of the Arkansas State Police and a member of the 20th District Drug Task Force.  Initial reports indicate that the three men sustained minor injuries and have been airlifted to an area hospital for assessment.

The aircraft departed from Camp Robinson shortly after noon and stopped in Clinton, Ark. to pick up the members of law enforcement who the National Guard was supporting on an aerial reconnaissance mission.  The aircraft left Clinton at approximately 12:45 p.m. and the pilot called Camp Robinson Operations at 1:30 to report the incident.

The National Guard has dispatched a team to the crash site to secure the scene and begin the investigation into what may have caused the mishap.

Names of the individuals onboard the aircraft are being held until family members can be contacted.

Additional information will be released once it becomes available.