RAF Kabul crash cause revealed
An investigation into the crash of a Royal Air Force Puma HC2 in Afghanistan last year has found that the crew lost situational awareness while attempting to land, causing the helicopter to strike the tether of a surveillance aerostat.
Five crew and passengers died when the helicopter impacted a Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) and subsequently crashed within the perimeter of NATO Headquarters in Kabul.
The aircraft (XW229) had been flying in formation with another Puma (ZJ955), which was acting as lead aircraft, on a sortie originating from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
As the two aircraft approached NATO HQ, the
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