Crash site of U.S Army Apache helicopter [Courtesy of Gangwon-do Fire Department]
Two pilots were killed in a U.S. Army Apache helicopter crash in South Korea, Monday. Officials said.
The AH-64D helicopter, which was in its night time training crashed onto State Road 531 located in Wonju City, Korea. The crash was just 500m away from the civilized area, but no civilians were harmed.
The Apache Longbow, which crashed was one of the latest models. The helicopter took off for low altitude night time training from 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade in Pyungtaek, approximately on 5:59 pm.
The cause of the crash, which killed two pilots, is suspected by the authorities that the Apache may have hit high voltage power lines or an electricity pylon which supports the lines. A power line was tangled up among the wreckage and the top part of the pylon was damaged.
A witness of the crash said, “I heard a few explosions. Light bulbs dimmed for a second so I went out to the road. Then I saw a pillar of fire sprouting from the wreckage.”
"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the soldiers involved in this tragic incident," said Lt. Col. Mark Gillespie, the deputy commander of 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade. "Our first priority is to provide their families with the support they need during this difficult time."
Because of the debris fallen over vast areas of the road, U.S. Army and Korean law enforcers have blocked the road to take care of the dead and the site of the crash.
아주경제 박세진 기자 = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
