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Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials

D: Jul 4

N: Colombian Air Force

T: TH-67 Creek

S: FAC 4578

This helicopter was substantially
damaged during a forced landing
at the Flandes outlying landing
field following a technical
failure while on a training flight
from Melgar. Neither of the
two occupants were injured.

D: Jul 4
N: Indian Air Force
T: HAL Dhruv
While on a sortie from Tezpur
Air Force Station, Assam, the
helicopter was reported missing
at around 1550hrs near Sagalee
in the Papum Pare district
of Arunachal Pradesh, with
four on board. Wreckage was
spotted the following evening
in the Sopo Yuha area, about 19
miles (30km) north of Itanagar
in Arun. Three crewmembers
were killed, while a single
passenger was listed as missing.

D: Jul 6
N: Indian Air Force
T: MiG-23UB
S: MS3472
During a training mission from
Jodhpur Air Force Station, this
aircraft crashed at around
1145hrs local time, about 37
miles (60km) from the base.
Both pilots ejected safely
from the Flogger before it
came down near the village
of Belasar in the Jodhpur
district of Rajasthan state.

D: Jul 6

N: Nigerian Air Force

T: AW109 LUH

S: NAF 573

This helicopter was extensively

damaged when it ditched

in a lagoon in Maidiguri

following an in-flight technical

fault, but the crew members

escaped uninjured.

D: Jul 10

N/U: US Marine Corps/VMGR-

452

T: KC-130T Hercules

S: 165000 ‘NY-000’

All 16 personnel on board this

aircraft were killed when it

crashed just off US Highway

82 near Itta Bena in Leflore

County, about 85 miles (136km)

north of Jackson, Mississippi,

around 1600hrs. According

to an official at Mississippi’s

Greenwood Airport, the aircraft

was being tracked by air traffic

control when it experienced an

unknown problem at 20,000ft

and an eyewitness saw it

spiralling into the ground. The

majority of the airframe came

to rest on fire in a soybean field,

but other debris was scattered

over a 5-mile (8km) radius.

An intense fire destroyed the

aircraft, which had departed

from Marine Corps Air Station

Cherry Point, North Carolina, to

take personnel and equipment

to NAF El Centro, California.

D: Jul 11

N/U: Bangladesh Air Force/

21 Squadron

T: Yak-130

S: 15102 ‘102’

During a training flight from

Bangladesh Air Force Base

Accident Reports

Zahurul Haque, Chittagong,

this aircraft crashed at around

1500hrs local time near the

base. Both pilots ejected

safely. Initial reports suggest

a fly-by-wire control failure

caused the accident.

D: Jul 16

N/U: US Navy/VFA-154

T: F/A-18F Super Hornet

S: 166883 ‘NH-112’

The engine borescope plug on

this aircraft extended in flight,

causing hot air to burn the

engine bay and aircraft skin.

The aircraft landed safely but

damage was such that it has

been categorised as a Class A

incident, indicating more than $2

million-worth of repairs are likely

to be required. The location

was not reported, but VFA-154

was deployed with Carrier Air

Wing 11 aboard the USS Nimitz

(CVN 68) in the Bay of Bengal.

D: Jul 26

N/U: German Army/KHR 36

T: Tiger UHT

While supporting MINUSMA

operations in Mali, this

helicopter crashed at 1420hrs

south of Tabankort, 43 miles

(70km) north of Gao, Mali.

Both crew members were

killed and the helicopter was

burnt out in a post-crash fire.

D: Jul 29

N: Libyan National Army

Air Force

T: MiG-23UB

S: 8008

While carrying out an air strike

against militants in Derna, Libya,

this aircraft was shot down over

the Dhar Al-Hamer district of

the town by Derna Mujahideen

Shura Council (DMSC) militants

using a MANPADS. The

pilot of the Flogger-C, Col

Adel Abdullah Al-Jihani, and

co-pilot were both killed.

D: Aug 1

N: US Army

T: HH-60 Black Hawk

During an Operation Resolute

Support mission in Afghanistan

this Black Hawk suffered a

mechanical issue, resulting

in a hard landing near Achin,

Nangarhar. Two crew members

suffered minor injuries during

the landing. The helicopter

was deemed to be repairable

and was therefore recovered.

Additional material from:

Scramble/Dutch Aviation

Society and Asagiri Yohko.

Above: Part of the burnt-out remains of Bangladesh Air Force/21 Squadron

Yak-130 15102 ‘102’ following its crash on July 11. Both crew ejected safely. via

Twitter

Nigerian Air Force AW109 LUH NAF 573 partially submerged in a lagoon after it force landed. via Twitter

90 // SEPTEMBER 2017 #354 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com