[airborne]

One group was killed.

The other group was murdered.

See the difference?

[topher]

If your meaning was that accidental should precede the word kill and that the word murder implies that was someone was intentionally killed.

People with a military background normally have spent more time on this than I. Sometimes they have witnessed it or been involved in it.

I knew a military commander who said he lost 35 men on a paratroop drop just because the wind changed. That would make me think about it.