South Korea grounds Cobra military helicopters after fatal training crash
South Korea suspends operations of all AH-1S helicopters after a crash in Gapyeong killed two crew members
South Korea grounded an ageing fleet of military helicopters on Monday after a chopper crashed during a training exercise and killed two people on board.
The AH-1S Cobra was training for emergency landings when it “crashed due to an unidentified cause” in Gapyeong county west of Seoul, the army said in a statement.
Two service members were taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.
Photos in local media showed the helicopter’s crumpled fuselage lying on a rocky river bank.
“Following the accident, the Army has suspended operations of all aircraft of the same model” and is investigating the cause, the forces said.
The AH-1S Cobra is a US-made, single-engine anti-tank attack helicopter.