An army helicopter crashed in northern Germany on Monday, July 1, killing the pilot, defense officials said, in the second fatal crash in a week for a military plagued with equipment problems.
The EC-135 hit the ground in Aerzen, near Hamelin in northwest Germany, at around 1:45 pm (1145 GMT). The reason for the crash is not yet known.
Firefighters rushed to the scene of the crash, which caused multiple blazes in a nearby forested area.
The impact site is around 30 km (20 miles) from the Bundeswehr helicopter training center in Bueckeburg.
Am 1. Juli 2019 ist gegen 14:00 Uhr ein Bundeswehrhubschrauber vom Typ EC 135 des Deutschen Heeres abgestürzt. Mehr Informationen unter: https://t.co/ep4UKXDeaZ #Heer #Bundeswehr pic.twitter.com/knJsr8jC6Y
— Bundeswehr (@bundeswehrInfo) July 1, 2019
The pilot was killed and one person injured, a defense ministry spokesman told AFP.
Just a week ago two Eurofighter jets crashed in northeastern Germany after colliding in mid-air, with one pilot killed while a second ejected to safety.
The military recovered both planes’ black boxes and was investigating the cause of the crash, while some politicians called for a ban on training missions over populated areas.
Germany has in recent years suffered a string of problems with military equipment, with only fractions of its fleets of tanks, ships and aircraft combat-ready at any time.
The problems have persisted despite multiple increases in the defense ministry’s budget, although spending remains below the NATO goal of 2% of GDP.
With reporting from AFP
