LONDON (AP) — Geese penetrated the windscreen of an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter during evening training mission in January, disabling the pilot and co-pilot and leading to the crash that killed four U.S. Air Force crewmembers, a military investigation revealed Wednesday.

The helicopter crashed on the eastern coast of England while practicing nighttime rescue mission scenario for a downed F1-6 pilot. The Pave Hawk was flying over grass-covered marshland near Cley next the Sea when geese, likely startled by the noise rose in flight and hit the helicopter flying at about 110 feet (34 meters) above ground level.

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