Rescue teams continue site operations after a Venom helicopter went down at Namest nad Oslavou, with one confirmed fatality and injured crew evacuated to nearby hospitals.
A military helicopter crashed in the Czech Republic with five people on board.
The Czech Army leadership announced the incident on X.
At the 22nd Helicopter Base in Naměšť nad Oslavou, a Venom helicopter crashed. There were five service members on board. The Integrated Rescue System is responding to the scene.
According to media reports, one service member was killed.
Unfortunately, one person did not survive following the army helicopter crash. Rescue teams transported the patients to hospital by ground and air. Two to Brno and one to Jihlava
– Novinky
Circumstances of the crash and the situation on the ground
The Czech Army has eight UH-1Y Venom and four AH-1Z Viper helicopters. These aircraft share 85 percent of components, which simplifies maintenance. Together they will replace the Soviet Mi-171 and Mi-24. The purchase of twelve American helicopters was approved in November 2019. In addition to these 12 helicopters, the army was promised eight upgraded machines free of charge as a reward for helping Ukraine.
UH-1Y Venom is a twin-engine multirole helicopter with a capacity of up to 12 people. It can be armed with machine guns, rotary machine guns, and carry air-to-surface missiles. The first prototype flew in 2001.
Information updates and context
Information on the causes of the crash and the condition of the injured continues to be clarified; evacuation efforts and assessments of the consequences are ongoing.
Further official information is awaited from the relevant services, as the situation continues to unfold.