Report: Technical failure cause of helicopter crash
Technical failure apparent cause of helicopter crash last week that killed Lt.-Col. Noam Ron, 49, and Maj. Erez Flekser, 31; preliminary findings by investigation team presented to bereaved families
According to conclusions presented to Air Force commander Major-General Amir Eshel, the cause of the fatal crash of a Cobra helicopter earlier this month was most likely a technical failure. The investigation team continues work on pinpointing the cause of the accident that took place near Kibbutz Revidim.
The crash killed Lt.-Col. Noam Ron, 49, and Maj. Erez Flekser, 31.
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At this point, a connection between the detachment of the rear rotor and the tragic consequences has been found, but it is still unclear what caused the crack or the break that brought about the technical failure. Similar circumstances caused the crash of the Cobra in the Jezreel Valley in 2008.
The IDF spokesperson said that the Air Force commander directed the investigation team to do everything possible to uncover the circumstances surrounding the technical failure and the cause of the crash.
Immediately after the accident, Major-General Eshel and squadron head Brig. Gen. Amikam Norkin, together with senior Air Force commanders, held an assessment meeting. They discussed the progress of the investigation, the future of the training and upcoming operations planned for the Cobra fleet.
Already in the initial investigation, it came to light that two helicopters had participated in a joint training exercise in the south and one of them had already made it back to Palmachim base.
The pilots of the second helicopter continued their training flight and had not radioed in any issues.
"We are six minutes from landing," they reported, right before the crash. The doomed helicopter then dove to the ground, leaving a wreckage radius of 300-400 meters.
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