Following a helicopter crash on Tuesday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the two deceased crew members. “The loss of the crew members deeply affects me and the entire German Armed Forces” he stated. “We wish the families of those missing strength during this difficult time.
Minister Pistorius confirmed the initiation of a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. “The causes and circumstances of this tragic accident are currently being investigated” he said. The Luftwaffe’s General Flight Safety will be leading the inquiries in coordination with civilian authorities. The ministry has refrained from speculating on potential causes at this stage.
The Defense Minister also extended gratitude to the emergency responders involved. “More than 200 personnel are deployed on-site and they have literally done everything possible to facilitate rescue and recovery efforts and contribute to clarifying the incident” he noted.
An EC-135 helicopter belonging to the German Armed Forces crashed near Grimma, east of Leipzig, earlier on Tuesday morning. The bodies of two crew members have been recovered and efforts are ongoing to locate a third missing crew member. Search and rescue operations are currently underway at the crash site. The EC-135 helicopter was on a training flight and was a leased aircraft utilized by Helicopter Squadron 64 for educational purposes.