Israeli Military Helicopter Crashes Off Haifa Coast: 2 Dead, 1 Injured

Two Israeli military pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed off the coast of Haifa Monday night. The aircraft, a Eurocopter AS565 Panther, locally designated Atalef, carried a crew of three. Search-and-rescue teams pulled the pilots from the water and tried, unsuccessfully, to resuscitate them. A patrol officer was rescued with moderate injuries and taken to Haifa’s Rambam Health Care Campus, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said. The hospital said he was in stable condition. The Airborne Combat Rescue and Evacuation Unit 669, the navy’s Flotilla 13 commando unit and the navy’s YALTAM scuba unit, participated in the recovery of the crew. Israel Air Force commander Gen. Amikam Norkin announced that he had launched an investigation into the incident. The helicopter, acquired in 1996, is primarily used for reconnaissance of enemy coasts, finding maritime targets at sea and search and rescue missions. At the time of the crash, it was taking part in a training exercise. The cause of the crash is not known but appears to be a technical malfunction.