Military Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Colombia: Fatalities reported
A Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Colombia, killing four people (Getty Images)
A Black Hawk military helicopter of the Colombian Airborne Assault Aviation Division crashed in the Chocó department on the border with Panama, according to El Tiempo.
There were seven soldiers on board the helicopter, four were killed. Three soldiers were taken to medical centers in serious condition.
According to the agency, on the evening of February 5, the helicopter crew stopped communicating. The National Army of Colombia contacted the Panamanian authorities to find out what happened.
Later, the army's press service confirmed the helicopter crash. According to the Colombian side, the crew lost control while approaching the helipad.
Black Hawk helicopter
The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter entered service with the U.S. Army, replacing the Bell UH-1 helicopter. Summer tests of the prototype UH-60 were completed in 1974, and in 1976 the helicopter won a tender for supply to the U.S. Army. By 1985, the U.S. Army had purchased more than 300 UH-60 helicopters.
By the mid-1990s, more than 2,600 helicopters had been built. The helicopter can be equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire ATGMs and additional fuel tanks for long-range flights. M240, M134 machine guns, and a 30-mm M230 cannon can also be installed in the front of the cargo compartment.
The helicopter is in service with many countries in North and South America, as well as in Europe and Asia.
