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| Memorial service for two German soldiers of the Combat Helicopter Regiment 36 who died on July 26, 2017 on a mission in Mali, during a memorial service at the Dom of St. Peter in Fritzlar, Germany, August 3, 2017. REUTERS/Swen Pfoertner/POOL |
The fatal crash of a German armed forces helicopter in Mali last year was caused by the failure of mechanics from manufacturer Airbus to correctly set the aircraft’s rotor controls after repairs, a defence official told Reuters on Wednesday.
An armed forces investigation of the crash, which killed both pilots aboard the helicopter, found that neither a technical defect nor material fatigue were to blame, according to the official who has seen the report.
A spokesperson for Airbus said the planemaker would address the report over the course of Wednesday.
The Tiger helicopter had been deployed to support a peacekeeping mission in Mali’s desert when it lurched into a steep, uncontrolled forward dive so severe that the rotors fell to pieces during its rapid descent.
The report found that Airbus mechanics had incorrectly calibrated the Tiger helicopter’s rotor controls after repairs carried out at its home base of Fritzlar in central Germany.
The two highly experienced pilots, subjected to enormous G-forces during the plunge, had no chance of correcting the stall, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
