NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A helicopter flying over the US-Mexico border on Friday afternoon crashed, killing three people and hospitalizing another. The deceased have been identified, and two New York National Guard soldiers were among those killed, officials said.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, 30, were with the New York National Guard and perished in the crash. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.
According to a statement released by the Joint Task Force North, a military unit that supports Customs and Border Protection, the UH-72 Lakota helicopter was actively assigned to the federal government’s border security mission, conducting monitoring and detection operations, when it went down near Rio Grande City.
The New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs said that the aircraft that crashed was not operated by the New York Army National Guard, but rather the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
“There is no greater calling than service to and defense of your country,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement after the deceased were identified. “I join the members of our National Guard and State Police, and the entire State of New York, in mourning this tragic loss.”
Grassia, who became a New York State Trooper in April 2022, was from Schenectady and enlisted in the National Guard in 2013. He joined as a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance specialist, a release from the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs said.
Frankoski, of Rensselaer, enlisted in the National Guard in 2016 and trained to become a UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopter pilot, according to the same release.
Both Grassia and Frnakoski were assigned to Detachment 2, Company A, 1st of the 224th Aviation Regiment.
As of Sunday, another National Guard soldier from New York remained hospitalized. The identity of the injured is not being released, but officials confirmed that the soldier was an aircraft crew chief.
The third person who died in the crash was identified as Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49.
“These brave Americans dedicated their lives to protecting our nation. They signed up knowing the risks and believing in the mission of serving their fellow Americans by keeping our nation safe. Our gratitude is profound, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” President Joe Biden said in a statement honoring the three deceased.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.