Civilian helo down in Baghdad.

[Christophe]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16767353/from/RS.4/

Also, from other forums:
-It was a Blackwater bird; 4 KIA in Bird 1, and 1 KIA in Bird 2, all bodies recovered,huge battle in progress.
It's reported it was brought down by a PKC.

-from someone in the sandbox:

This morning (Charlie Time) the little bird was reported downed in Baghdad. Two little birds did a precautionary landing on their way to the IZ, one of the birds lifted off and made it to the IZ while the other one was downed. After searching the area with UAV/Fixed Wing/AWT assets the crash site was located and 3/2 SBCT came in and cordoned the area off. It was reported as a Blackhawk USA chopper, and initial reports came back as 4xKIA at the crash site. There are other reports circulating about the status that the contractors were found in, but I will not spread rumors until it has been confirmed or denied. Once the area had been cordoned off Blackhawk security helicopters coordinated with U.S. Army AWTs and ground units to clear the area and clean the site. What was left of the helo was destroyed in place and the bodies were extracted.

[Sionnach]

UPDATE: It appears four of the dead were executed.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,246225,00.html

Four of the five Americans killed when a U.S. security company's helicopter crashed in a dangerous Sunni neighborhood in central Baghdad were shot execution-style in the back the head, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Wednesday.

[Snaquebite]

UPDATE: It appears four of the dead were executed.

In most reports that is an Iraqi account (only) and ...

In Washington, a U.S. defense official said four of the five killed were shot in the back of the head but did not know whether they were still alive when they were shot. The U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

I wish they would do something to all these "anonymous" officials.... can you say JAILTIME

I won't speculate on that...there are numerous accounts out there...there are other explanations that could make it appear that way and we won't know until official autopsys are conducted...if this in fact did happen I hope the true findings are released (not to be cruel to the families and cause more grief) but so the American people can see the type of animals we are up against. ( maybe loosen up on the ROE) On the other hand these wounds (if they exist) could have occured post mortem and it would speak the same message.

[Sionnach]

Roger, SGM. It's easy to believe this could have happened, so I jumped the gun.