Army AH-1S Cobra helicopter crashes in Gapyeong; two crew members transported in cardiac arrest

At around 11:04 a.m. on the 9th, an Army helicopter of the Cobra model crashed for an unknown reason near the Sinhagyo Bridge area in Jojong-myeon, Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province.
According to the ROK Army, two people were on board the helicopter, and details of casualties and the cause of the crash are still being confirmed. They suffered severe injuries and were transported to hospital unconscious and in a state of cardiac arrest, and are reported to be in critical condition. Both crew members have been identified as warrant officers, but their deaths have not been officially confirmed.
Authorities stated that there was no explosion or fire as a result of the crash. The helicopter was an AH-1S Cobra belonging to a battalion under the 15th Aviation Brigade of the ROK Army. It took off at around 9:45 a.m. for flight training and is believed to have crashed at 11:04 a.m.
The victims were initially scheduled to be taken to Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital, which has a regional trauma center equipped to treat severe injuries, but they were instead transported separately to hospitals in Pocheon and Namyangju.
Relevant authorities plan to investigate various possible causes of the accident, including abnormal radio communications and potential aircraft malfunctions.
The ROK Army evacuated the crew members to nearby hospitals and dispatched an accident response team to the crash site in Gapyeong County to investigate the cause. Fire authorities deployed 16 pieces of equipment and 43 personnel and are working with the military to secure and clear the scene.
A military official explained, "The AH-1S Cobra is an aging platform that has experienced frequent mechanical failures, and the need to replace it has been raised repeatedly."
Last year, the military experienced a series of incidents, including an accidental bombing involving a KF-16 fighter jet, a collision between a drone and a helicopter, a runway excursion incident during fighter taxiing, a fire on a Navy amphibious landing ship, and an unauthorized entry of a transport aircraft into the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
In this context, some critics have argued that the military has struggled to regain stability amid ongoing personnel reshuffles and changes in the command structure following the declaration of martial law. Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back has repeatedly emphasized the need to strengthen military discipline, including by convening key commanders’ meetings in person.


wangjylee@fnnews.com Lee Jong-yoon Reporter