Israeli Pilot Fall Dead in Military Helicopter Crash

YemenExtra

Y.A

An Israeli officer fell dead and his co-pilot seriously wounded as their Apache attack helicopter destroyed on landing at an air force base, a military spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

“A military helicopter crashed at an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base in southern Israel,” she told AFP, adding that the accident occured late Monday.

She said that reserve Major David Zohar died “and a second officer is critically injured.”

The IAF has launched a technical inquiry into the accident and asked all combat helicopters be grounded pending the outcome of the probe, the spokeswoman stated.

In the past, the Apaches were grounded after a large crack was discovered in the rotor blade of one. They started flying again last month,according to Israeli media reports.

The media reports said that Monday’s crash happened at the end of a training flight which was part of a program to gradually return the Apaches to service. The pilot reported a malfunction before losing control.

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