Two Army soldiers were rescued after spending about three hours on top of Monarch Pass, where their helicopter crashed Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

The Army OH-6 helicopter was one of two choppers heading from Hill Air Force Base in Ogden to Fort Campbell Army Post in Kentucky, said Lt. Col. Ken McGraw, spokesman for the Army's Special Operations Command in Fort Bragg, N.C.The choppers, which are attached to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, had been conducting mountain training exercises near the Utah post and were returning to Fort Campbell, where they are based, McGraw said.

The pilot of the helicopter was forced to make a "controlled emergency landing" as it was nearing the summit of the pass about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, McGraw said.

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