IAF Apache Fleet to Return to Service After Fatal Crash
The Israeli Air Force has decided to return its fleet of Apache attack helicopters to service after they had been grounded for several weeks following a deadly crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another
IsraelDefense
| 25/09/2017
Photo courtesy of Boeing
Nearly two months after the Israel Air Force grounded its Apache fleet following a deadly crash that left one pilot dead and another severely injured, they will be resuming operational activity in the coming weeks, IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin decided.
Following the fatal crash on August 7, former IAF chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel grounded the entire fleet of Apache helicopters until a full investigation was carried out. According to the IDF, the investigation, which is being carried out alongside the Apache's manufacturer Boeing and the US army, will take another couple of months.
The process of bringing the fleet back up to its full operational capabilities will also take at least several weeks while the aircraft's systems and the maintenance protocols are reviewed, according to Col. Yoav, the head of the IAF's Safety and Quality Assurance Department.
The announcement was made soon after the publication of a new interim report on the cause of the crash. The IDF has been able to confirm that the crash was caused by a steering problem. According to the investigation, one of the joysticks leading to the tail rotor disconnected as a result of a malfunction caused by the poor installation of the steering column and aggravated by its prolonged usage.
The disconnection of the joystick had a significant impact on the pilot’s ability to control the helicopter. Six minutes after the pilots alerted the tower of the malfunction, the Apache was on its final approach to land when the pilots lost control and crashed between the two runways in the base.
According to Col. Yoav, the investigation detected gaps in the installation guidelines for the joysticks which are installed in Israel after arriving from Boeing. As there is no suspicion of negligence, the investigation will examine how the problem with the joystick was not detected during the usual inspections of the helicopters and whether or not such an erosion could be detected at all. Instructions for installing the joysticks are expected to be updated according to the findings of the investigation.
Col. Yoav also stated that Maj. (res). Zohar’s decision to return to base following the malfunction, despite the difficult flight conditions, saved the life of the younger pilot.
[Sources: The Jerusalem Post / The Times of Israel]
The Israeli Air Force has decided to return its fleet of Apache attack helicopters to service after they had been grounded for several weeks following a deadly crash that killed one pilot and seriously injured another
Photo courtesy of Boeing
Nearly two months after the Israel Air Force grounded its Apache fleet following a deadly crash that left one pilot dead and another severely injured, they will be resuming operational activity in the coming weeks, IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin decided.
Following the fatal crash on August 7, former IAF chief Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel grounded the entire fleet of Apache helicopters until a full investigation was carried out. According to the IDF, the investigation, which is being carried out alongside the Apache's manufacturer Boeing and the US army, will take another couple of months.
The process of bringing the fleet back up to its full operational capabilities will also take at least several weeks while the aircraft's systems and the maintenance protocols are reviewed, according to Col. Yoav, the head of the IAF's Safety and Quality Assurance Department.
The announcement was made soon after the publication of a new interim report on the cause of the crash. The IDF has been able to confirm that the crash was caused by a steering problem. According to the investigation, one of the joysticks leading to the tail rotor disconnected as a result of a malfunction caused by the poor installation of the steering column and aggravated by its prolonged usage.
The disconnection of the joystick had a significant impact on the pilot’s ability to control the helicopter. Six minutes after the pilots alerted the tower of the malfunction, the Apache was on its final approach to land when the pilots lost control and crashed between the two runways in the base.
According to Col. Yoav, the investigation detected gaps in the installation guidelines for the joysticks which are installed in Israel after arriving from Boeing. As there is no suspicion of negligence, the investigation will examine how the problem with the joystick was not detected during the usual inspections of the helicopters and whether or not such an erosion could be detected at all. Instructions for installing the joysticks are expected to be updated according to the findings of the investigation.
Col. Yoav also stated that Maj. (res). Zohar’s decision to return to base following the malfunction, despite the difficult flight conditions, saved the life of the younger pilot.
[Sources: The Jerusalem Post / The Times of Israel]
