A U.S. transport helicopter went down Tuesday near an air base west of Baghdad, AP quoted the military as saying. The CH-47 Chinook helicopter was conducting a routine post-maintenance test flight when it went down near Taqaddum air base, said 1st Lt. Shawn Mercer, a Marine spokesman. He said emergency response crews had sealed off the site and the cause was being investigated. The e-mailed statement provided no information about how many people were on the helicopter or their status.
