A drone collided with a helicopter at an Army aviation battalion in Seokwoo-ri, Gwangjeok-myeon, Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, at approximately 1:05 p.m. on Mar. 17, igniting a fire that engulfed both aircraft.
Firefighters dispatched to the scene extinguished the blaze by 1:34 p.m. No casualties have been reported, but the drone and helicopter were both destroyed.
The incident is believed to have occurred when the drone exploded upon striking the helicopter, which was on the ground at the time. The unmanned aircraft, identified as a Heron (16.6 meters in height, 8.5 meters in length), is valued at approximately 3 billion won (about $2 million), while the helicopter, a Surion, was acquired by the military for around 18.5 billion won (about $13 million).
The Ground Operations Command said in a statement, “At around 1 p.m., a military drone collided with a helicopter parked at a military airfield in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, sparking a fire that was extinguished within about 20 minutes.”
“There were no casualties, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident and assess the damage,” the command added.
Fire authorities and military officials are conducting a detailed investigation into the incident.
