Egyptian Military Helicopter Crashes Due to Technical Malfunction

Egypt’s military announced the deaths of two of its pilots after a helicopter crashed Tuesday due to a technical malfunction during a training mission in the country’s east.

According to army spokesman Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez, the helicopter crashed in the Shalofa area at 11:00 (08:00 GMT) on Tuesday as part of an air force training program.

Colonel Abdel Hafez stated that the incident “resulted in the martyrdom of two officers.” He added that “necessary action is being taken by the competent authorities.”

The Shalofa area, located in the Burial area of Suez Governorate (124 km east of Cairo), is home to a major air base for military helicopters.

The Egyptian military operates a diverse range of fighters and helicopters, primarily from Russia, the United States, and France.

In recent years, the Egyptian military has experienced several incidents involving aircraft. In November 2022, a fighter plane was shot down during a training exercise without any fatalities or casualties.

In December 2019, the pilot of an Egyptian fighter jet that crashed due to a technical fault during a training flight survived after ejecting with a parachute.