Iraq - United States
Two US helicopters crash in Baghdad
Saturday 04 October 2008
Two US Blackhawks collided and crashed to the ground during landing in a northern, Sunni district of Baghdad, said the American military. Early reports say one Iraqi soldier died and two US soldiers were wounded.
Special Report Iraq: 5 years of warSaturday 04 October 2008
By AFPTwo US Blackhawk helicopters crashed in northern Baghdad's Sunni district of Adhamiyah late on Saturday while approaching landing, a US military spokesman said.
"Reports we have is that the two heliopters were in the process of landing when they collided," spokesman Captain Charles Calio told AFP.
At least one Iraqi army soldier was killed and four people, including two US soldiers, were wounded, another US spokesman, Lieutenant Patrick Evans, said.
"Two UH-60 Blackhawks have crashed while landing at Combat Outpost Ford in Adhamiyah (northern Baghdad) about 8:55 p.m. (1755 GMT)," Evans said.
"One Iraqi army soldier is killed. Two coalition forces (personnel) and two Iraqi army (soldiers were) wounded," he said, adding that the "situation is under control. Emergency services are on the scene."
It is not known how many were on board at the time of the incident, he said.
"Enemy fire is not suspected at this time," he added.
US military officials said they could not comment on local media reports that there had been firing at the aircraft and that persistant gun fire was heard in the area immediately after the crash.
Local residents said security forces cordoned off the entire area and did not allow traffic or pedestrians to get through to the crash site.
The UH-60 is the workhorse of the US military and operates in pairs. Each aircraft crew consists of two pilots and two gunners. Blackhawks routinely throw magnesium flares to deflect any heat-seeking missiles fired at them.
The latest US helicopter incident came 17 days after another US military helicopter crashed in southern Iraq, killing all seven soldiers aboard.
The CH-47 Chinook crashed about 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the main southern port city of Basra as it formed part of a four-aircraft convoy flying from Kuwait to the northern city of Balad.
The US military had said that they did not suspect enemy activity in the September 18 crash too, but investigation findings have not been published.
The worst single crash was on November 15, 2003, when two Blackhawks collided near the main northern city of Mosul, killing 17 soldiers.
In August last year, a Blackhawk transport chopper crashed in northern Iraq, killing 14 US military personnel.
Two American soldiers were hurt when their helicopter crashed south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad in June this year.
In January and February last year there was a spate of crashes, including some aircraft shot down by an insurgent cell which deployed anti-aircraft crews north of Baghdad. US forces have since hunted down those gunners.
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