Israeli Transport Helicopter Crashes In C Romania – Romanian Defense Ministry

Romania’s Defense Ministry said Monday that an Israeli CH-53 helicopter carrying six Israeli troops and one Romanian soldier lost radio contact with the control center and was later found to have crashed near Fundata, central Romania.

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Imaginea articolului Israeli Transport Helicopter Crashes In C Romania – Romanian Defense Ministry

Romanian Army Helicopter Crashes In C Romania, With US Troops Aboard

According to the Ministry, at around 3.20 p.m. local time, an Israeli CH-53 transport helicopter, which was participating in the Blue Sky 2010 joint Romanian-Israeli exercise, lost radio contact with the control center. The Defense Ministry said a MEDEVAC medical evacuation helicopter belonging to the Romanian Air Forces and two Israeli helicopters were put on a search-and-rescue operation.

The Ministry went on to say that around 5.45 p.m., the air search-and-rescue teams found the missing helicopter's "wreck" near the communes of Fundata and Zarnesti in Brasov County, central Romania. The cause of the accident and fate of the aircraft's crew is currently unknown.

The helicopter was reportedly carrying six Israeli troops and one Romanian soldier. Rescue teams are currently searching for the crew on the ground and have so far found four bodies.

Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea ordered an investigation committee be sent on the scene.

The helicopter was initially reported to belong to the Romanian Defense Ministry and to have been carrying US troops when it crashed in Fundata, Brasov County. Brasov prefect Ion Gontea said the location of the crash had been found, but was unable to say whether the helicopter's passengers included US troops.

Last week, an Israeli CH-53 helicopter taking part in the same exercise made an emergency landing in Priboiu, Dambovita County, according to the Romanian Defense Ministry.

The Ministry said the helicopter's crew discovered a technical problem while flying from the Boboc aerodrome to Buzau and chose to make an emergency landing. After solving the issue, the helicopter took off for the Boboc base, where it landed safely.

The Blue Sky 2010 exercise takes place between July 18 and 29 at Boboc aerodrome and concerns training for search, rescue and medical evacuation missions.

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