Federal Army: Helicopter burnt out in Upper Austria

2023-10-19 22:38:16

Five crew members released from hospital

Vienna (OTS) – Today, on October 19, 2023, shortly before 8:00 p.m., an Agusta Bell 212 helicopter of the Federal Army began to burn on the ground near Pramet/Feitzing in Upper Austria. The six occupants, including two pilots (44 and 28 years old, both from Linz-Land), a technician (35 years old, from Linz) and three air rescuers (54, 50 and 41 years old, from St. Veit an der Glan, Klagenfurt- Land and Klagenfurt) were able to leave the helicopter in time. They were taken to the hospital. Five have already been able to leave the hospital; A flight rescuer remains in the hospital for observation.

The 23 AB 212 helicopters were brought up to the latest technical standards in 2012, extending their service life until 2037. Night flights of the Federal Army take place every Tuesday and Thursday. The AB 212 helicopter took off from Linz/Hörsching shortly before 7:00 p.m. and flew towards Wels. The crew practiced landing in open terrain and may have landed without any problems. As it was taking off, the helicopter probably got stuck and overturned. Immediately afterwards it caught fire. Three army air rescuers were on board to train how to use the winch. The wreckage of the helicopter is currently being guarded by military police. An aircraft accident commission has been set up and will begin its work tomorrow.

Agusta Bell 212

The Agusta Bell 212 helicopter is a medium transport helicopter that has been in use with the Federal Army since 1980. Most recently, an AB 212 machine was used in the forest fire in the Dachstein area. The helicopter has a two-blade main and tail rotor, two turbine engines, a skid landing gear and is instrument-rated and approved for a total of 14 people. Equipping with a cable winch and external load hook enables versatile usability.