Helicopter on routine training flight crashes in northern Israel, large explosions heard, rescue services unable to reach victims as fire blazes at crash site
Hanan Greenberg
Published: | 09.10.08, 19:25 / Israel News |
A Cobra military helicopter crashed near Kibbutz Ginegar in northern Israel at sundown Wednesday. The helicopter had two personnel on board, and was on a routine training flight.
Initial reports indicate a second Cobra had been flying alongside the first helicopter when it crashed. The second pilot landed nearby to see what had happed. The crashed chopper burst into flames and loud explosions were reported, apparently caused by explosives it had been carrying.
The parent squadron the helicopter belongs to has an impressive combat record, and took part in numerous operations and sorties during the Second Lebanon War. Cobra helicopter (Photo: IAF website)
Rescue services rushed to the scene of the crash, but say they are initially unable to approach due to the extent of the fire still blazing there.
MDA paramedic Elad Bachar was first on the scene: "One helicopter crashed and is on fire in the fields of Ginegar, the debris is scattered over a massive radius. Only now, a long time after the crash, can we get near the chopper. At this point, due to the breadth of the area covered in debris, it's impossible to tell whether there are additional casualties."
Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, received word of the incident during a speaking engagement at a ceremony held in honor of fallen soldiers in Ramle.
The last crash involving Cobra attack helicopters was in July 2006, during the Second Lebanon War. An IAF officer was killed when two choppers collided near the border. The Cobra helicopter (known in the IAF as 'vipers') has long been in use by the Israeli Air Force, and its roles include, among other missions, targeted killings of terrorists.
It is primarily intended for assaults on ground targets, and is armed with anti-tank missiles, two rocket launchers and a tri-barrel 20mm. It is based on the UH-1 Huey helicopter made by Bell (it is also known as a Bell-205).
Sharon Roffe-Ofir and Roi Mandel contributed to this report |