The cause of the crash of an Army Cobra (AH-1S) helicopter in Gapyeong last February, which resulted in the deaths of two pilots, has been determined to be an internal engine defect. The pilots attempted to maneuver the helicopter away from residential areas during the emergency situation when they lost power.
The Army Central Accident Investigation Committee announced on September 10 that the crash was caused by a defect in the internal cylinder of the engine's exhaust diffuser, which led to engine failure.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on February 9 during a training exercise for emergency procedures at Gapyeong Airfield. The helicopter, on its seventh training flight, took off and began to emit black smoke before losing power and crashing into a river near Sinha Bridge. The two crew members were rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
Analysis of the flight data recorder and surrounding CCTV footage revealed that the helicopter was in normal flight condition at takeoff. However, the engine stopped 21 seconds after takeoff, and the helicopter struck the ground just 12 seconds later, leaving the pilots with very little time to respond to the emergency.
The investigation found that misalignment of internal engine components caused friction and high heat between the rotating shafts, leading to the shafts melting and seizing, which resulted in the engine stopping. The Army suggested that the possibility of fatigue accumulation due to long-term operation was a factor, noting that no issues had been found in the maintenance history.
In light of this incident, the Army plans to discuss the retirement timeline for the Cobra helicopters with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and expedite the deployment of the replacement light armed helicopter, Miron.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.