Though not conclusively declaring causation, the U.S. has stated that yesterday’s tragic helicopter crash in Iraq occurred in heavy weather.
A U.S. military helicopter which came down in northern Iraq on Sunday killing all 12 aboard had been flying in bad weather, but the cause of the crash was still under investigation, the U.S. military said on Monday.
It was one of the deadliest air crashes in Iraq since the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Barry Johnson said all 12 aboard the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter were U.S. citizens. In a separate statement the military said the 12 included eight service personnel and four civilians.
“The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but we know the weather was severe at the time,” Johnson told Reuters.
The helicopter went down in a sparsely populated area 7.5 miles east of the town of Tal Afar shortly before midnight on Saturday. It had been flying between bases in northern Iraq when communications were lost.
That the flight was in the area of Tal Afar, which has recently been the scene of hostile action, leaves open the possibility of other causes. However, weather is the likely culprit, as it can wreak havoc on military aviation on or away from the battlefield … even here at home in Texas.
My best wishes for the families involved in yesterday’s loss.