A PHILIPPINE Air Force S-701 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during night flight training in the town of Capas in Tarlac province in central Luzon, killing all six airmen aboard.
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| A photo from the Department of Defense taken on November 9, 2020 shows one the first of 16 Polish-built S-70i Black Hawk transport helicopters. |
Air Force spokesman Lt. Col Maynard Mariano said the Black Hawk, one of six utility helicopters used for such training, crashed on June 23 after failing to return to base in Pampanga province.
“The identities of the aircrew
members will be provided as soon as the members of their families are properly
notified,” he said.
The downed Polish-built chopper
was under the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing based at Clark Air Base. The cause
of the crash is being investigated.
The helicopters are manufactured by PZL Mielec,
a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, which had also previously acquired Sikorsky,
the original manufacturer of the Black Hawk.
The Philippines acquired the helicopters under a
government-to-government deal with Poland, signing a contract worth $241
million in 2019. The Black Hawks are being bought under the U.S. ally’s
five-year Horizon 2 modernization program, which will run from 2018-2022.
(Mindanao Examiner)
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