Singapore Apache AH-64 Down!! - 30 Sep 2010

SINGAPORE - Twelve-year-old Khoo Sheng Yang was playing in the exercise corner of Block 636, Woodlands Ave 6, yesterday when he noticed a helicopter "turning slowly".

He couldn't believe it when he saw the seven-tonne Apache AH-64 descend towards an open field before landing with a violent bump.

"I thought the helicopter was practising," he said.

But the loud bang startled Mr Balasubramian Chinappan, 38, who was in his living room.

He said: "When I looked out of my window, I was shocked to see a helicopter had broken into two. There was no fire, but I immediately called the police and ambulance."

The two Woodlands residents were among the first to witness the emergency landing of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) attack helicopter - the second such incident in the area in seven months.

Yesterday's chopper, with two men on board, landed in a field between Woodlands Ave 12 and Woodlands Drive 64 at about 3.30pm, near a school and residential flats.

When MediaCorp reached the site, the tail of the helicopter was seen about 50m away from the craft.

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the Apache was on a routine maintenance flight when it encountered engine problems.

Residents told MediaCorp they were used to hearing aircraft flying over their flats since the Sembawang Air Base is nearby. Store executive Azhar Ridwan, 38, who heard the helicopter land, said: "It was fortunate that (it) did not happen during the school holidays as lots of people exercise there and children fly kites and play in that field."

Captain P James, president of the Airline Pilots Association Singapore, said: "The fact these pilots put the helicopter down safely without injury to themselves or others is testament to their skill, their training."

Mr Michael Palmer, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence, while happy to hear that no one was injured, had some questions over safety.

He said: "What caused the accident - was it the pilots' fault or technical fault? If it was technical fault, what was the cause of that - was it normal wear and tear or something that could have been detected?"

He told MediaCorp he would be seeking answers from Mindef.

Mindef said in a statement the pilots chose an open field away from buildings and populated areas to make the landing.

Still, it was just several hundred metres away from Greenwood Primary School, which unsettled some parents there.

One told MediaCorp: "When I heard that a helicopter landed here, we were worried: 'Will it explode?' You know, that kind of thing that might affect the school and the students here."

An RSAF response team led by Brigadier-General Wong Huat Sern, Commander Participation Command, was on site to manage the situation and recover the aircraft.

BG Wong said: "After landing, it was found that there were no injuries to the pilots, and there was also no damage to public property."

The Apache incident was the second forced landing incident in seven months involving helicopters.

A Eurocopter (EC120 Colibri), which is used to train RSAF pilots, had to make an emergency landing on an open field at Woodlands Avenue 10 in February. No one was hurt.

The two pilots in yesterday's incident have been discharged from the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Centre.

Mindef said as a precautionary measure, the RSAF will temporarily suspend all training for its fleet of Apache AH-64 helicopters pending the outcome of the investigation.

Training for the RSAF's Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk naval helicopters, which have similar engines to the Apache's, will also be temporarily suspended.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• RSAF
• Apache
• AH-64
• helicopter
• pioneer
• woodlands
• army
• air
• force
• airforce
• crash

[Konig1985]

I continue playing playing playing playing!

lol why bother with "continue"?

[Dupermanify]

DILIIP like a boss!

[EpixBawokLoL]

@xToXiicxT3RRoRx apache was developed by the british

[banghuan1982]

YEAH saw this when we drove by...



[xToXiicxT3RRoRx]

Why the fuck do Americans sell all their equipment other countries

[biobob16]

Was not the pilots fault but the maintenance crew. The pilot did a good job landing.

[Badboy21thekiller]

@Dupermanify if i have the chance not that i big shot but reallY the night vision should not be limited 2 one sight which is the eyepiece while the other eye is looking at the flight instruments. Rather the pilot should concentrate on flying and avoid possible dangers and use the night vision Goggles to check the enviroment for obstacles while the gunner do all the spotting and shooting as long as the 2 cooperate they will be alive

[Dupermanify]

@Badboy21thekiller lol, you try flying it lor. ;)

[mr9396]

emergancy landing.......more like a crash love

[9540144]

Apache crashed... diaoz...