UPDATED ON:
Saturday, October 04, 2008
23:38 Mecca time, 20:38 GMT
 
News Middle East
Two US helicopters crash in Iraq

 

Two US military Blackhawk helicopters have crashed over the Iraqi capital, the military says.

Hostile fire was not immediately suspected in the incident, which happened as the helicopters were landing in northern Baghdad.

At least one Iraqi soldier died in the crash in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district.

A number of other US and Iraqi soldiers were wounded.

"Two UH-60 Blackhawks have crashed while landing at Combat Outpost Ford in Adhamiyah at about 8.55 pm (1755 GMT)," military spokesman, Patrick Evans said.

"One Iraqi army soldier is killed. Two coalition forces and two Iraqi army [soldiers were] wounded," he said, adding that the "situation is under control".

"Emergency services are on the scene," he said.

A Reuters cameraman near the scene said he heard an explosion after the impact,
followed by the sound of shooting.

Local residents said security forces cordoned off the area and did not allow traffic or pedestrians to get through to the crash site.

Army transporter

The UH-60 is the workhorse of the US military and operates in pairs. Each aircraft crew consists of two pilots and two gunners.

The latest US helicopter incident comes 17 days after another US military helicopter crashed in southern Iraq, killing all seven soldiers aboard.

The CH-47 Chinook crashed about 100km 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.

 Source: Agencies
Feedback Number of comments : 6
 
Bigmel1981
Malaysia
05/10/2008
Two US helicopters crash in Iraq
Yankee must go back home. War has been lost. Not worth to sacrifice a soldiers life for the gain of a single politicians agenda. 2 many innocent lives lost on both sides.

Justin Knowlan
United Kingdom
05/10/2008
Two US helicopters crash in Iraq
I was skipping channels on the telly when I read the banner reference this crash. No other news channel are reporting this! Just proves how selective news is broadcast by other major news channel. Thanks Aljazeera

Rahmat
Canada
06/10/2008
Two US helicopters crash in Iraq
For the many times when I read that American helicopters crash in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are often referred to technical failures. Is it always true? I don't think that the American are that clumpsy to maintain their war machines. American and other news agencies and channels do not broadcast the reasons. Would the crew of Ajazeera be able to that besides telling what others don't and won't? I do appreciate it though that aljazeera exposes itself as different in the media world.

Jamey
United States
06/10/2008
Rahmat
Rahmat alot of it has to do with the sand. That is not what they were built for. I have actually seen poorly maintained engines that got so hot because of poor airflow that the sand looks as if it has turneds to glass.

VitaminK
United States
06/10/2008
none
I live at Cop Ford, and was there when the Helicopters crashed. It was an accident, due to human misjudgment, and i can tell you there was no enemy contact.

udinn
Malaysia
07/10/2008
Usa Stupid
Usa army are wasting american citizen cash.and i think is about time for the ass to go back home and leave the iraqi by itself

 
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