Near-misses on rise : Israel

Twelve years after the collision of two Israel Air Force Yasur helicopters claimed the lives of 73 airmen, the State Comptroller's Office has found there has actually been an increase in the number of near-misses for IAF copters. The comptroller reports that in the decade since the Yasur helicopter disaster, there have been 643 collisions or near-misses between IAF helicopters and other aircraft, including a collision of two Apache helicopters during the Second Lebanon War, in which a pilot died. A main cause of near-misses is the congestion in civilian and military airspace in Israel. The air force is introducing advanced equipment that allows a pilot to know the location of other aircraft in the area, but it still won't provide a warning of an imminent collision.

The IDF Spokesman's Office, responding to the state comptroller's findings, said the safety of IAF helicopters is "a matter of utmost importance for the air force," and that the IAF has instituted a variety of changes in pilot education to deal with the problem, including the recent purchase of simulators for pilots to rehearse emergency procedures and flight control and digital positioning systems, which will improve flight safety. But it was noted that nowhere in the world is there a warning system designed to prevent helicopter collisions.

Posted in: Helicopter,israel