Republic of Korea Army AH-1J/S Crash

An AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter assigned to the Army's 15th Aviation Group crashed at approximately 11:04 a.m. on February 9 during emergency procedure training involving simulated engine failure and landing practice in Gapyeong county, Gyeonggi Province, about 50 miles northeast of Seoul. Both warrant officers aboard were rushed to a nearby civilian hospital in cardiac arrest but were later pronounced dead. The South Korean Army immediately grounded its entire AH-1S Cobra fleet and established an accident investigation task force. The aging helicopter fleet, with some aircraft over 30 years old, is scheduled for retirement starting in 2028.