"I tried to call them, they did not answer": The surviving air patrol officer provides details about the helicopter crash

The investigation is currently ongoing, and according to the data currently available, the captain and co-pilot were able to bring the helicopter to landing data on the water.

At the same time, however, the question arises as to whether the lowering was too extreme.

Ron Birman, who survived, said that after the hit "smoke entered the helicopter and there was a power outage"

Amir Bohbot

06/01/2022

Thursday, 06 January 2022, 13:20 Updated: Friday, 07 January 2022, 06:35

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In the video: Sink of the wounded from the helicopter crash, Captain Ron Birman (Photo: Dotz)

Air Force officials say today (Thursday) that several directions that led to the crash of the "Bat" helicopter are being investigated, including a fire that broke out for an unknown reason.

Col. T., a veteran helicopter pilot and head of the helicopter disaster investigation committee, will submit an interim report to Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Nurkin in the coming days. The helicopter crew decided to shut down the engine and on a single engine basis prepare for an emergency landing defined as a 'float' landing.

According to the data currently in the hands of the investigation team the captain and co-pilot were able to bring the helicopter to landing data in the buoy (a stage where the helicopter flew very fast and beyond the stage where the malfunction was detected and it was prepared to balance and slow down).

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The crash off the coast of Haifa (Photo: Official website, Walla system!)

According to the test of the patrol officer who used the air, the duration of the flight from the moment the engine malfunction was discovered, until the moment the water hit exceeded at least one minute. The officer further said that "smoke went into the helicopter and there was a power outage, I tried to call them and they did not answer, how many times, I tried several times to open the door".

It is still unclear if the helicopter's internal communication network did not operate following the fire (everyone had a helmet with AB contact) as a result of the power outage or whether the air crew was focused on emergency helicopter operation and preparing to land in the buoy, or did not hear it due to helmet sealing or other reasons.

According to the procedures, all the doors should be opened, a boat thrown out and prepared for water damage.

At this point it is not clear if the boat was thrown into the water before or after landing.

One thing is clear in the Air Force, the air crew managed with great skill to balance the helicopter and bring it towards landing in the middle of the sea but still hovers another question that researchers will have to answer: Was the lowering sharp and the helicopter collided with water by surprise or And if so why the air patrol officer was not also drastically harmed by it.

Air Force commander and wounded patrol officer (Photo: IDF Spokesman)

The patrol officer also recounted the moment of hitting the water: "The helicopter hit the water, and the back of the helicopter sank in the water and the front with the nose was up, it took a while until it sank. I dived several times. I tried to take them out several times. I thought of pulling them out."

On one side of the helicopter (there are two doors in the front compartment) he was unable to open the door, and on the other side he tried to pull one of the air crew and saw that he was not responding and then decided to call the commander of the West Defenders Squadron.

Again the question arises why the helicopter crew will not communicate with him after the engine fire is detected.

What was their medical condition?

It is important to emphasize that the helicopter crew was able to bring the helicopter to landing data in buoyancy otherwise the helicopter would not have remained largely intact.

Also, according to practice, the co-pilot was also supposed to jump out and leave the captain alone until the moment of landing but this did not happen.

The investigation continues.

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• Amikam Nurkin