The two pilots, who were injured, were evacuated to a military treatment facility at Kirkuk Airbase.

Lt. Col. Mike Donnelly, a Task Force Lightning spokesman who deployed out of Hawai'i, said "the pilots are in the hospital getting the best care."

The combat aviation brigade "has a remarkable safety record and combat record, and this is directly tied to the training they execute prior to deploying," Donnelly said.

The helicopter accident is under investigation. Preliminary reports indicated the cause of the hard landing was mechanical and not hostile fire, the military said.