A Greek Army AH-64D Longbow Apache attack helicopter participating in military exercises over the weekend near the Aegean Sea crashed into the water following an apparent mishap.
The frightening situation was caught on film by a spectator and uploaded to YouTube.
A Greek AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter crashed into the sea while participating in military exercises. (zouglagr/YouTube)
The helicopter was taking part in the Greek SURISA 2016 combat exercises over the Strimonikos Gulf near the town of Asprovalta in northern Greece. The military exercises featured all three branches of the Hellenic Armed Forces as well as a small selection of American special operations forces
The helicopter appeared to be performing an advanced aerobatic maneuver when it slammed into the water and flipped over.
The aircraft can be seen flying just a few feet over the water before the crash.
Check out the video below to see the crash:
The helicopter quickly pulls up from the beach as it zooms past the crowd. Briefly out of frame, the chopper comes barreling down towards the water obviously carrying too much speed. Unable to gain control, the aircraft bounces off the surface of the water.
The crashing helicopter then flips completely over before finally resting upside down in the water. The water seems to be shallow enough to hold the helicopter up and keep it from sinking as the aircraft nearly disintegrates.
The rest of the helicopters participating in the display fly by as an eerie silence falls over the area. No immediate movement is noticed from the helicopter in the video, but a rescue boat can be seen coming to the pilots’ aid just moments after impact.
A Greek AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter crashed into the sea while participating in military exercises. (zouglagr/YouTube)
The Aviationist reported that both pilots in the helicopter fortunately survived the crash and escaped safely. The shallow water seemed to have been their saving grace, keeping the chopper just above the surface and saving them going completely under.
The two pilots were then taken to a military hospital nearby as a precaution.
A Greek AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter crashed into the sea while participating in military exercises. (zouglagr/YouTube)
The helicopter is believed to have belonged to the 1st or 2nd Attack Helicopter Battalion from Volos. The chopper, which costs $65 million, is the third D-model lost out of 12 that were procured by the Greek Army.
