Helicopter crash kills 18 soldiers in Venezuela

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: AP

Eighteen Venezuelan soldiers died in a helicopter crash near Venezuela's border with Colombia on Sunday, President Hugo Chavez said.

The soldiers were patrolling the 1,400-mile (2,300-kilometer) border separating Venezuela and Colombia when the Mi-25 military helicopter crashed near the town of El Alto de Rubio, the state-run Bolivarian News Agency reported. Two pilots and the entire crew were killed. Army Brig. Gen. Domingo Alberto Feneite was among the victims.

Officials said the nearest military base lost radio contact with the helicopter shortly after midday. Neither Chavez nor the military mentioned the cause of the crash.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iqI1AdcUir9OgRNdBX30Zj2r6rRQD97UVKTG7

[Captain Hilts]

1. I'm very sorry to read this. Does Venezuela have mandatory service/a draft? nt

[RedCloud]

2. I believe they snatch up suspected 19 year olds...

At least that's how it used to be.

[ret5hd]

4. Surely you have a link or source to back that up, right?

[ret5hd]

5. Didn't think so.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Reuters: Venezuela military helicopter crash kills 18: Chavez

Venezuela military helicopter crash kills 18: Chavez
Reuters
Sunday, May 3, 2009; 5:24 PM

CARACAS (Reuters) - Eighteen people were killed when a Venezuelan military helicopter crashed on patrol near the border with Colombia, President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday.

The dead included several military officials and a civilian, he said.

"I have just received very bad news, an accident involving a helicopter of our armed forces and the death of its crew," Chavez said during his weekly television show. He did not say what had caused the accident.

The leftist president also mentioned a U.S. anti-terrorism report which accused Venezuela of not doing enough to tackle Colombia's drug-trafficking Marxist guerrilla groups at war with the government.

"Eighteen dead Venezuelans, now, today on Sunday, patrolling the border and the United States accuses us of not patrolling," he said.

More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/03/AR2009050301645.html

[ohio2007]

6. Didn't they just buy "egg beaters" from Putin ?

Just saying that mechanical failure rate should be looked into as a follow up story

[ohio2007]

7. In 11 months, four Russian aircrafts have broken down

Makes me wonder how many 'unreported' mechanical problems were buried in paper work?

Four accidents involving helicopters made in Russia and property of the Venezuelan state have been recorded over the past 11 months. However, only one has claimed a death toll –the fatality recorded last Sunday in Andean Táchira state, resulting in 16 militaries and one civilian dead.

The Mi-17 carriers purchased from Russia on March 2005 have been involved in three out of the four events; and a Mi-26 in one of them. However, the government has barely issued any opinion about the first and last events.

On June 13th, 2008, the first aircraft, a Mi-17, dove into the ground while landing on Tiuna Fort

snip

That very year, on September 2nd, another Mi-17 fell down in southern Bolívar state during rescue works.

snip

A third event involving a Russian chopper was reported off the record 26 days later. On that opportunity, a Mi-26 plunged in the area of Luepa, Bolívar state

snip

"Failures are very successive and three out of four have been recorded in Mi-17 helicopters. There is the need to ascertain what is going on –whether the pilots' training is not appropriate or the aircraft is malfunctioning."


http://english.eluniversal.com/2009/05/05/en_pol_esp_in-11-months,-four-r_05A2317569.shtml

I'm sure something in the translation is missing....a nut, a bolt, safety wire,broken gauges that look good...


or

maybe they were all shot down by the usual yankee spies


There is quality in quantity ........when it comes to cannibalizing