Croatian Military Helicopter Crashes, Killing Crew Member – Defence Ministry

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - A Croatian Air Force Kiowa Warrior helicopter has crashed in the Adriatic Sea, near the city of Sibenik, killing one crew member while a search operation is in the process to find the second person who was on board the helicopter, Croatia’s Defence Ministry reported on Monday.

"A Kiowa OH-58 D helicopter crashed near Zlarin Island and Zablace during a training flight on Monday January 27, 2020 at 10:30 [09:30 GMT]," a Defence Ministry statement read.

In a later statement, the Ministry confirmed that one of the two crew members on board the helicopter had died in the crash. A search rescue involving Croatian Air Force and Coastguard personnel is ongoing, the ministry stated.

At 14:30 local time [13:30 GMT], the Ministry of Defence will hold a press conference to discuss the incident.

The Croatian military received 16 Kiowa Warrior helicopters from the United States' military surplus. The final delivery of 11 helicopters was received in December 2016, with the US donating the equipment to bolster Croatia’s air capabilities.