COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- An Army Blackhawk helicopter crashed into a field on the campus of Texas A&M University, killing one person and injuring four others on board, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The helicopter crashed near the Corps of Cadets field on the school's College Station campus at about 3 p.m. Monday.

Texas A&M officials said that it was an Army UH-60 Blackhawk ROTC training helicopter.

Texas A&M spokesman Lane Stephenson said an Army lieutenant assigned to A&M's ROTC unit was with the four National Guard troops aboard the Blackhawk when it went down. No students were on board.

A spokeswoman for College Station Medical Center said three men were taken to that hospital -- all in critical condition.

Another crash victim was at St. Joseph Regional Health Center in nearby Bryan.

One student, a member of the Corps of Cadets, was slightly injured by flying debris during the crash, officials said.

School authorities have not released the identities of the dead and injured.

Witnesses told the Bryan-College Station Eagle that they saw five Blackhawk helicopters taking off and landing throughout the day.

Scott Walker told the newspaper that he saw two helicopters lift off about 3 p.m. The first one took off without trouble, but Walker said the second seemed to lose control and start spinning. He told The Eagle that "the helicopter suddenly dropped straight down into the ground."

According to Texas A&M, the helicopter's rudder apparently failed on take-off, causing the chopper to fall abruptly back to the ground.

Debris fell on several streets in the area, temporarily closing them.

The chopper, along with 190 cadets in the university's Corps of Cadets, were participating in the ROTC Winter Field Training Exercises taking place at the campus, the university said.

Bart Humphreys, a spokesman for the College Station Fire Department said the investigation into the crash was just beginning.

The helicopters were being used as a transportation means to move the cadets from the Texas A&M campus to Camp Swift, located in Bastrop, Texas.

A&M students are currently on winter break, with classes set to resume on Jan. 20.

College Station is about 100 miles northwest of Houston.

Message from President Elsa Murano

To: Texas A&M students, faculty and staff

The entire Aggie family is deeply saddened following the crash of a Blackhawk helicopter at Duncan Field on the Texas A&M University campus at about 3 p.m. today (Jan. 12).

Our thoughts and prayers go to the crew members involved in this tragedy, and especially to the family and friends of the crew member who reportedly died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

The University's Code Maroon emergency notification system was activated shortly after the crash. While students, faculty, staff and local residents were never in imminent danger, it was important to instruct people to avoid the area so that emergency responders and law enforcement personnel could secure the area and do their jobs.

Those on the scene at the time of the crash reported that the helicopter, which was participating with 190 members of our Corps of Cadets in ROTC Winter Field Training Exercises, fell to the ground shortly after lift-off.

Updated information will be posted to the Texas A&M website as it becomes available.

Dr. Elsa A. Murano
President