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6 IAF men dead in Romania chopper crash

27 July 2010 02:23 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Romanian soldier participating in joint search-and-rescue exercise with IAF â€˜Night Birdsâ€™ squadron also on board fallen Sikorsky CH-53, APA reports quoting jpost.com website.
Six Israeli Air Force servicemen and one Romanian soldier were killed on Monday in a helicopter crash in Romania, in one of Israelâ€™s worst military aviation accidents in recent years, according to Romanian sources.

The Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter â€“ called Yasour by the IAF â€“ was participating in the Blue Sky 2010 joint search-and-rescue exercise in central Romania. According to initial findings, the crash appeared to be the result of a malfunction in the tail of the helicopter.
The crew consisted of four Israeli pilots, two Israeli airborne mechanics and a Romanian military observer, according to Romanian media reports.

The IDF notified the crew membersâ€™ families of the incident.

Romanian Defense Ministry spokesman Constantin Spanu said there was no information on whether there were survivors, and that officials were scrambling to reach the accident site near the town of Zarnesti, some 120 kilometers northwest of Bucharest.

Spanu said the helicopter had been flying at low altitude when radio contact with it was lost mid-afternoon Monday.

Romanian officials said the helicopter had encountered a mechanical malfunction last week, but was repaired by IAF technical teams. The helicopters were from a squadron of the IAF known as the â€œNight Birds.â€

The exercise began on July 18 and was supposed to end later this week. During Mondayâ€™s flight, three helicopters were flying in central Romania practicing search-and-rescue techniques.

Romanian Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea immediately established a committee to probe the cause of the accident. Rescue teams were said to be trying to reach the mountainous area, where access is difficult.

IAF commander Maj.-Gen. Ido Nehushtan spoke with his Romanian counterpart Maj.- Gen. Ion-Aurel Stanciu, and the two decided to establish a joint commission of inquiry. The IAF was planning to send an aircraft on Tuesday with medical teams, as well as officers from the IDF Rabbinate to assist in identifying the bodies.

An IAF brigadier-general is heading the Israeli research team, the army said.

Brig.-Gen Nimrod Shefer, deputy commander of the air force, said that all possibilities were being looked into, including a technical malfunction, a human error that may have caused the crash.

â€œThe exercise was planned in advance and is part of an ongoing cooperation with Romania and other countries, and is meant to train our pilots to fly in new and unfamiliar terrain,â€ Shefer said late Monday night.

IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.- Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi informed Defense Minister Ehud Barak of the crash upon Barakâ€™s landing in Washington, a statement from Barakâ€™s office said, adding that he was being updated constantly. The Israeli helicopters flew to Romania last week after stopping off to refuel in Greece. The joint Israeli-Romanian exercise was the first in a number of years and since the countries signed a joint defense agreement in 2006.

The five-year agreement was signed by then-defense minister Shaul Mofaz and his Romanian counterpart. According to the deal, IDF forces and aircraft would be allowed to deploy in Romania for joint training exercises.