IDF: All Bodies Recovered from Crash Site

July 29, 2010

The army has also finished gathering the scattered pieces of the helicopter that crashed, and will apparently not require another visit to the site. IAF [Israel Air Force] Chief of Staff Ido Nehushtan said earlier he believes the reason behind the crash would be discovered without using the black box which is believed to have been found at the scene. It remains unclear whether the black box will be usable in its condition. “At this point I don't want to speculate about the reasons for the accident. We need to be careful with this subject and wait for the investigation team,” the IAF chief said.

Nehushtan told reporters gathered at Sde Dov Airport that he had spoken to the commander of the elite 669 search and recovery unit at the scene, who had told him that dozens of men were hard at work uncovering remains.The IAF chief added that the soldiers had great difficulty searching the site because of its geographical layout. “Everyone understands the huge responsibility that lies on their shoulders. The commander of Unit 669 says he is proud of these men, and so am I,” Nehushtan said.   

Brigadier-General Yakov Shaharabani, a senior IAF official, commanded the search for the victims he knew personally. Summing up the mission, he said, “The operation was carried out with severe weather conditions. The area is mountainous, with a steep cliff that is not easy to get to.” He added that his forces, numbering more than 50 troops, had cooperated extensively with Romanian authorities, and that “all of our requests were granted.” Witnesses say the crash site was devastated with the helicopter's ruins. Of the aircraft hardly a shred remains, aside from wheel and rotor parts.

The IAF chief stressed that the IAF had returned to full operational mode, including its fleet of Yasur helicopters. “The operations on our schedule obligate us to go back to work—these are serious missions with a high level of responsibility,” he said. The IAF chief said claims of a high level of accidents occurring in Yasur helicopters were false, and that the reliable choppers would continue to serve the Air Force for many years. He said the Israeli Air Force was low on the global ranking of Yasur accidents. “We carry out many complex missions, and don't want to send out pilots unprepared. The pilots leave for missions with a feeling that they are sure of themselves and the training they have been given, and there is no substitute for this,” he said.

Posted on July 29, 2010

Source: (Excerpts of an article by Attila Somfalvi, Hanan Greenberg contributed, Ynetnews, July 28, 2010)

Photo Credit: Isranet