A preliminary report on the Jan. 3 AS565 Panther helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of two Israel Air Force pilots was presented to IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin on Wednesday by a team of experts following an investigation into the incident.
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Lt. Col. Erez Sachyani, 38, and Maj. Chen Fogel, 27, were killed in the crash. A third crew member, Cpt. Ron Birman, was also moderately injured, but his condition has since improved.
At this stage, the exact technical malfunction that led to the tragedy has not yet been determined, however, it is known that the pilots encountered a complex emergency that exacerbated rapidly at the late hours of the day, at an altitude of approximately 700-800 meters above sea level due to a malfunction in the helicopter's left engine that later spread to the right one as well, filling the cabin with smoke.
Less than two minutes passed from the moment the emergency was identified and declared until the crash into the Mediterranean. According to the report, there was no evidence of attempts by Sachyani and Fogel to get out of the water, most likely due to their condition. Nevertheless, the damage was relatively balanced which is what led to Birman's rescue. At the same time, given the circumstances of the accident, it appears that Sachyani and Norkin could not have been saved by rescue forces.
There was also no evidence of the helicopter being hit in the air by birds, another aircraft or a hostile entity. So far, no signs of fire have been found inside the helicopter.
The Air Force is working together with a group of experts from France, who will take the helicopter engine for further investigation to their country.
Because the reason for the crash has not yet been determined, the fleet of AS565 Panther helicopters, which was grounded following the crash, continues to be grounded.
"The initial report reflects what we know so far, but since it was only written a week and three days after the accident, many questions remain unanswered, which will be clarified later in the investigation," Norkin said. "We will leave no stone unturned to get to the truth in a professional manner and using all the necessary resources."
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