Both Pilots Found Dead After Helicopter Crash

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PHNOM PENH– Search and rescue teams have confirmed the deaths of both pilots on board the helicopter that crashed at Phnom Yav Yai in Pursat province’s Veal Veng district. One pilot perished in the chopper’s seat, while the other was found deceased on the mountain flank a day after the helicopter’s discovery on July 29.

“The second body was located (July 30) 210 meters from the crash site,” stated Ith Sarath, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) at a press conference. The victims have been identified as Kheng Chhay Yuth and Sun Phalla.

Recovery efforts are underway to retrieve the bodies, but challenging weather conditions and dense forest are hindering the operation.

“We must clear a path for the rescue helicopter to land and transport the bodies to Phnom Penh,” Ith Sarath emphasized during the press conference. “The crash site is heavily forested, requiring additional time and effort. We may need to cut down trees to create a suitable landing area.”

Air Force headquarters lost contact with the Z-9 helicopter during a routine training flight on July 12 with the pilot and a captain on board. The chopper disappeared over the densely forested Cardamon Mountain range in Pursat and Koh Kong provinces during bad weather.

Sarath announced that the crashed helicopter will be recovered from the forest at a suitable time, but the black box will be retrieved first so that the technical details leading to the crash can be analyzed. 

He dismissed criticism of the search and rescue team’s delayed discovery of the chopper, explaining that while they marked the crash site, continuous torrential rain hampered efforts.

“From July 13 to 26, rain fell day and night, preventing drone flights and forest searches,” Sarath stated. “We only managed brief search attempts during short rain breaks. Fortunately, the past three days brought clear skies, allowing our drones to locate the chopper at 1:34 PM on July 29.”

He added that heavy winds prevented the rescue helicopter pilots from landing but they immediately notified headquarters, prompting a rapid response from infantry forces who arrived at the crash site at 4:27 PM.

 In the Cardamom Mountain range, Phnom Yav Yai (1,280 meters) and Phnom Khnong Preah (1,504 meters), which is right next to it, are two huge peaks.

Sarath said, "I doubt anyone has ever made it through these huge, dark forests." "Our team has tried more than ten times to go deeper, but the constant rain stopped us."

“Even though the crash site is still our goal, the safety of my team is the most important thing,” he added.

The search party comprising a 1,000-strong force, using helicopters and drones, had to battle treacherous conditions as they combed the complex mountain range, hampered by rapidly changing weather and heavy torrential rain.

This is the second incident involving a military helicopter in a decade. In 2014, a Z-9 helicopter crashed in the southern part of Phnom Penh, killing four people who were on board.

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