Human error was responsible for Sunday night’s midair collision of two air force helicopters, which killed seven air force crew members and officers, according to preliminary findings by a board of inquiry.
The high-level panel, named by the air force commander, Maj. Gen. Avihu Bin-Nun, began probing the causes of the disaster within hours after it occurred.
It is expected to release an interim report shortly, followed by a final report.
The two Sikorsky CH-53D transport helicopters, known as Stallions, were on a routine night training exercise over the Samaria region of the West Bank and Jordan Valley when they collided in a fireball.
The investigation so far has ruled out mechanical or structural failure or faulty equipment as causes of the accident.
The aircraft were flying at low altitude in acceptably close formation, the inquiry said, when they suddenly veered together and plunged to the ground in flames.
The four pilots and three crew members were killed.
The investigators said one or more of the pilots may have temporarily lost sight of the other aircraft only a few yards away because of a blind spot.
The disaster was one of the worst in the history of the Israel Defense Force. It coincided with the completion of a report of accidents in the IDF, ordered by the chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Dan Shomron.
CONCERN OVER SUICIDE RATE
That report, submitted by Maj. Gen. Ya’acov Lapidot, commander of the National Defense College, is already under study by Shomron and his senior staff at General Headquarters.
The report is composed of two parts, one dealing with safety measures and accidents on work details and in training exercises. The other part deals with self-inflicted injuries and suicides among troops.
While the number of accidents is reported to have decreased in recent years, alarm has been expressed over the rising suicide rate in the Israeli army.
The Lapidot commission recommended creation of a special group under the chief of the IDF’s manpower division to deal with that phenomenon.
The panel also recommended the establishment of a safety authority covering all branches of the armed services to oversee accident prevention.
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