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Unexpected 'gust of wind' responsible for drone-helicopter crash last month: Military

Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 09:31 Updated: 10 Apr. 2025, 18:36

The remnants of an Heron reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone that crashed at an Army airfield in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on March 17 are seen after the incident. [YONHAP]

The cause behind a Heron reconnaissance drone crashing into a helicopter last month was determined to be "a gust of wind," military officials said Wednesday.

The South Korean Army’s Central Accident Investigation Committee reviewed flight recordings, CCTV footage and other data and found that the Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) experienced an unexpected updraft during an emergency automatic landing.

“While attempting an emergency landing, the aircraft sharply ascended due to an initial gust,” an Army official said. “Just before touching down, a second gust and crosswinds contributed to the incident.”

The crash occurred at approximately 1:05 p.m. on March 17 when the drone, assigned to an Army aviation battalion in Seogu-ri, Gwangjeok-myeon, Yangju, veered right while landing and collided with a Surion utility helicopter (KUH-1) parked on the runway. A fire broke out and destroyed both aircraft. Though extinguished within 20 minutes, the blaze was fueled by onboard aviation fuel.

The Army convened a 20-member investigation committee on the day of the accident, led by the Army’s deputy chief of intelligence and including experts from the Agency for Defense Development and Defense Agency for Technology and Quality.

The committee found no evidence of human error, equipment malfunction, maintenance failure or lax discipline.

The findings were reported Wednesday to acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho.

To prevent future incidents, the Army plans to expedite the installation of ground-level wind shear alert systems at the affected battalion. Authorities also intend to install safety nets to keep UAVs from entering helicopter parking areas at military airfields.

The remnants of an Heron reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone that crashed at an Army airfield in Yangju, Gyeonggi, on March 17 are seen after the incident. [YONHAP]

The crashed drone was a Heron, an Israeli-made medium-altitude reconnaissance UAV with a wingspan of 16.6 meters (54.4 feet), a length of 8.5 meters and a top speed of 207 kilometers per hour (128.6 miles per hour). It is capable of conducting surveillance from an altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and costs around 3 billion won ($2.2 million) per unit. South Korea purchased three Herons and a ground control system in 2016 for around 40 billion won.

Of the three Herons owned by military, one crashed near Yangju in November 2024 after suspected GPS jamming by North Korea. Another has been grounded due to a key component maintenance issue. With the latest incident, all three Herons are now out of service, likely impacting surveillance over the northwestern islands and the greater Seoul area.

The destroyed Surion helicopter, a domestically produced utility aircraft, was estimated to cost around 20 billion won.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]