Page 92 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

Attrition
Report Subscribe to www.Key.Aero

for breaking news stories. E-mail the news
team at edafm@keypublishing.com

D: Dec 5 The damaged port wing leading
N: Arab Republic of Egypt edge of Argentine Air Force Learjet
Air Force 35A T-26 following its bird strike
T: MiG-29M on approach to San Fernando
International Airport on December 3.
This aircraft crashed following a
sudden technical failure during
a training sortie in a dedicated
training area, location not
reported. The pilot ejected safely.

D: Dec 5
N/U: US Army/Minnesota
Army National Guard/34th
Combat Aviation Brigade/
C Company/2-211 AVN
(GSAB)
T: UH-60A Black Hawk
Around nine minutes after take-off
for a maintenance test flight from
the St Cloud Army Aviation Support
Facility (AASF) at St Cloud Regional encountered a problem over D: Dec 9 Drake (Operation Drake Passage
Airport, Minnesota, the crew sent a Ain Zara in Libya and the pilot, N/U: Chilean Air Force/Grupo – named after the body of water
Mayday signal before the helicopter Major General Aamer Al-Jagam de Aviación No 10 in which the aircraft went down),
crashed. The incident happened at Alorifi, attempted to fly back T: C-130H Hercules some debris and human remains
around 1415hrs local time in a snow- to al-Watiya air base but was S: 990 were found at sea on December
covered tree line on a farm near the unable to make it and the aircraft This aircraft departed from 11, 325 miles (520km) northwest of
rural township of Marty, Kimball, crashed at al-Zāwiyah. He ejected Santiago at 1021hrs local time King George Island. It is assumed
Stearns County, about 16 miles over hostile territory and was with 17 crew and 21 passengers that all 38 on board were killed.
(26km) southwest of the AASF. All captured by al-Zāwiyah terrorists. on board. The flight to Teniente The aircraft was originally built
three crew members (CW2 James Libyan Government of National Rodolfo Marsh Martin Air Base, for the US Marine Corps as a
A Rogers Jr, CW2 Charles P Nord Accord (GNA) militants said they King George Island, Antarctica, KC-130R tanker and delivered in
and Sgt Kort P Plantenberg) were had shot the MiG down using was to transport personnel to 1978 as BuNo 160628, but later
killed and the helicopter destroyed. an SA-7 surface-to-air missile the Chilean Base Presidente de-converted to a standard C-130H
recently received from Turkey, Eduardo Frei Montalva to modify and supplied to Chile in July 1995.
D: Dec 6 but a statement by the General a floating fuel supply line and
N: French Army/Safran Command of the Libyan Arab carry out anti-corrosion treatment D: Dec 9
Electronics & Defence Armed Forces said the aircraft to Chilean facilities in the area. N/U: German Luftwaffe/HSG 64
T: Safran Patroller came down because of technical It landed to refuel at Base T: CH-53G
During an industrial acceptance difficulties. This airframe had Aérea Chabunco, Punta Arenas- S: 84+46
flight from Base Aérienne 125 been stored for many years at Presidente Carlos Ibañez del During an evening low-flying
Istres as part of the French Army’s Benina air base and returned to Campo Airport at 1444hrs, taking training mission from Laupheim air
Système de Drone Tactique operational service earlier in 2019 off again from there at 1653hrs. base using night-vision goggles, this
(Tactical UAV System) programme, after being refurbished by Libyan After passing waypoint Horno helicopter’s rotors grazed treetops
this UAV was destroyed when it National Air Force technicians, at 1744hrs it continued towards in the dark near Sigmaringen-
crashed at 1558hrs local time at using parts from several waypoint Drake, but disappeared Jungnau, Baden-Württemberg. The
Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts, near other aircraft. It was deployed at 1813hrs, eight minutes before crew made a safe precautionary
Istres, in the Bouches-du-Rhône. from Benghazi to al-Watiya it was scheduled to pass Drake. landing in a forest clearing and
Although the UAV crashed close in November to participate in After extensive searching, under a there were no injuries to the nine
to a number of houses, it struck a operations against GNA militias. mission dubbed Operación Paso personnel on board. Damage to
hillside and there were no casualties the CH-53G was thought to be
on the ground. The French Army minimal and confined to the main
has ordered 14 Patrollers, with rotor blades. It remained in the
the first system (comprising five field for several days, guarded
air vehicles and two ground by military police, during which
stations) due for delivery at the the rotor blades were replaced,
time of the accident. After testing enabling it to fly out on December
at Istres, the type will be used 12. However, it did not return
for training at Chaumont, where directly home – after a final night
more flight slots are available stop at Erding it eventually arrived
than at Istres, enabling training back at Hubschraubergeschwader
of personnel to be accelerated. 64’s (HSG 64’s) base at
Laupheim on December 18.
D: Dec 7
N: Libyan National Air Force D: Dec 10
T: MiG-23MLD N: UAE Air Force and Air
S: 26144 Defence
After concluding an evening Above: The tail of Libyan National Air Force MiG-23MLD 26144 following its crash T: Wing Loong UAV
combat mission, this fighter at al-Zāwiyah on December 7. GNA This UAV crashed in flames in the
Abbreviations: D: Date N/U: Nationality/Units T: Type S: Serials

90 // February 2020 #383 www.Key.Aero

06/01/2020 09:20:52
88-91 Attrition AFM Feb2020.indd 90
88-91 Attrition AFM Feb2020.indd 90 06/01/2020 09:20:52