The Israeli Air Force grounded its fleet of Cobra helicopters in the wake of a crash that killed two crewmen.
Cobra helicopter crashed 10 minutes after takeoff Wednesday evening for a routine training flight in northern Israel. The Cobras have been grounded pending an investigation into the crash.
Witnesses told Ynet that a propeller appeared to have detached from the helicopter, causing it to crash to the ground near Kibbutz Ginegar in the Jezreel Valley and burst into a ball of flames, igniting the ammunition it was carrying.
Rescue teams were unable to approach the crash site for a long period of time. Both crewmen died, including a 35-year-old reservist with five children.
The U.S.-made helicopter and another were flying in formation before the crash. It is unknown if the two aircraft touched.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
