The fatal crash of an Israeli air force Bell AH-1 Cobra "Zefa" attack helicopter on 11 March 2013 was caused by a sudden break in one of the aircraft's tail rotor blades, a service investigation has found.
Both pilots were killed when their aircraft crashed near Kibbutz Revadim during a routine training mission over southern Israel from Palmachim air base. No distress signal was transmitted, with one eyewitness having reported seeing "flashes of fire" before the helicopter hit the ground immediately.
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Israeli air force |
Israel grounded its remaining Cobras following the accident, but is expected to resume operations with the type in the coming days. The air force has a current active inventory of 43 AH-1s, as recorded by Flightglobal's Ascend Online Fleets database. The type entered Israeli service in 1975.
Source: Flight International
