 A UH-60 Black Hawk similar to the helicopter involved in the crash | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 4 August 2015 (2015-08-04) |
| Summary | Possible shootdown |
| Site | Colombia |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | UH-60 Black Hawk |
| Occupants | 18 |
| Fatalities | 16 |
| Injuries | 2 |
| Survivors | 2 |
On August 4, 2015, 16 policemen died in a helicopter accident in northwestern Colombia. The Colombian Defense Minister, Luis Carlos Villegas [es], stated that the crash was most likely caused by bad weather.
The flight was part of an operation against Clan Úsuga, a criminal organization composed of former right-wing paramilitary group members. Two other helicopters flew on the same mission but did not encounter difficulties and did not hear any hostile fire.
Aftermath
The helicopter crash happened 4 days after a Colombian Air Force CASA/IPTN CN-235 transport airplane crashed in Cesar Department, killing all 11 service members aboard. So far in 2015, 35 members of the military or police have been killed in 5 separate accidents involving aircraft. The spate of casualties have led to questions about the efficacy of the military's air operations procedures. A debate was organized in the Congress of Colombia to discuss the accidents, and the Defense Minister and Air Force Commander were called upon to testify. An investigation found that the helicopter may have been shot down.
References
- ^ "Helicopter accident kills 16 police officers in Colombia". reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- "Sixteen Colombian Police officers killed in helicopter crash while searching for drug lord". itv.com. Archived from the original on 2018-10-20. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
- "'Caída de avión en Cesar fue a causa de condiciones meteorológicas'". eltiempo.com. El Tiempo Casa Editorial. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- "Accidente de Black Hawk, el segundo desastre aéreo en 96 horas". eltiempo.com. El Tiempo Casa Editorial. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- "Siniestros en aeronaves militares, a debate en el Congreso". eltiempo.com. El Tiempo Casa Editorial. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- "Helicopter that crashed in northwest Colombia was shot down: Opposition". colombiareports.com. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
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