Family members of one of the Tennessee National Guardsmen killed in Wednesday’s helicopter crash in Alabama said he “went down fighting” to save as many lives as he could.

Chief Warrant Officers Daniel Wadham and Danny Randolph were killed when their UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed in Madison County about 13 miles northwest of Huntsville Wednesday afternoon. The helicopter was on a training mission with the Tennessee National Guard and was approaching the Huntsville Executive Airport when it rapidly descended and hit the ground.

Miraculously, the aircraft avoided hitting any of the homes or nearby schools, something Wadham’s family attributes to the servicemen.

“The only thing I can say for sure is with the trajectory and flight plan, it looked like they fought the entire way down to keep that helicopter out of the neighborhood,” Rose Heinge. Wadham’s ex-wife, told WKRN. “I know for a fact without a shadow of a doubt that he went down fighting to save as many lives as he could.”

Kim Evans, Wadham’s former mother-in-law told the station her former son-in-law had a “servant’s heart.”

“It was his life’s mission to protect and serve,” she said.

Danny Randolph: ‘Everybody loved Danny’

Randolph’s family said he loved being a member of the National Guard and had been training on digital helicopters in recent weeks.

“He had such a sweet, loving personality, everybody loved Danny Randolph,” his mother, Patricia Randolph, told The Tennessean. “He was just an outgoing person.”

“The family is just numb,” she added. “We’re having a really rough time right now, and we want everybody to pray, because it’s going to be rough.”

Wadham, of Joelton, Tennessee, had 15 years of service with the TNG. Randolph, of Murfreesboro, had been with the guard 13 years. They were assigned to A Company, 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion, from Nashville’s Berry Field Air National Guard Base.

Brig. Gen. Warner Ross, Tennessee’s Adjutant General said words could not express his sorrow for the loss of the guard members.

“It is felt not only within the ranks of the Tennessee National Guard, but across our entire military community. We ask that Tennesseans continue to join us in prayer for these soldiers’ families amid this tragic loss,” Ross aid.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing.