Two pilots killed, one crew member injured in Israeli military helicopter crash

An Israeli military helicopter crashed off the coast of northern Israel during a training flight, killing two pilots and injuring one crew member, the military said.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

04 January, 2022

The air force commanding officer has opened an investigation into the crash [source: Getty]

Two Israeli military helicopter pilots were killed and another crew member injured in a crash over the Mediterranean, the army said Tuesday, promising an investigation into the incident.

The IAF "Atalef" maritime helicopter went down Monday in the Mediterranean off the coast of the northern city of Haifa during a training flight, the army said in a statement.

Rescue teams, including Israel's Special Forces Underwater Missions Unit, were deployed but were unable to save two pilots who were declared dead at the scene.

A third crew member - an aerial observer - was "moderately injured", the army said.

Air Force Commander Amikam Norkin announced a temporary freeze on training exercises.

A senior officer would lead an investigative team examining the "incident", the army said, without giving any further indication of the cause of the crash.