Air Force Commander at the conference, February 8, 2024/IDF spokesman
Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar decided to reduce the punishment he imposed on the air crew that crashed a Yanshof type attack helicopter after it collided with a pillar during a trip to refuel at the Nabatim base - this is what Vala learned today (Tuesday)!. Corps officials sharply criticized the lenient punishments, when the helicopter array is still under a heavy operational load and each helicopter plays a significant part in evacuating the wounded from the battlefield. The value of the damage caused to the helicopter is estimated at millions of shekels.
As a result of the crash, as reported in Walla!, the helicopter was severely damaged and three crew members, including a young pilot, a veteran pilot who served as an instructor, and a reserve aircraft mechanic were slightly injured. According to the decision of the corps commander, the veteran pilot in the team will not instruct for two months and will not fly operationally for two months, the young pilot will not fly operationally for two months and the airborne mechanic will not fly operationally for two months.
At the time, the army said that the helicopter crew apparently did not identify a weak point, as expected during a trip on the ground, and did not correctly estimate the distance from the pole, which caused damage to the main propeller. After the propeller hit the pole, the helicopter spun around on the ground quickly, its tail broke and the rear propeller was destroyed.
An owl helicopter during a rescue/IDF spokesman
The same sources clarified that there is a concern that the main beams of the helicopter were damaged and deformed, and that it is necessary to replace all the dynamic accessories on the helicopter. A series of comprehensive engineering tests will soon be carried out for the helicopter, and at the end, equipment engineers will decide in consultation with the American helicopter manufacturer whether the helicopter can be returned to flight, according to sources in the Air Force.
The IDF spokesman's response: "The command response decided in the incident is after exercise of discretion and in accordance with the circumstances."
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