From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 16, 2026
Watch: Damaged IDF helicopter crashes in West Bank amid attempt to recover it; no injuries reported
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleStav Levaton is a military reporter for The Times of Israel
The IDF says a Black Hawk helicopter crashed this morning during an attempt to recover it after it had made an emergency landing earlier this week due to severe weather.
According to the military, the helicopter had landed in an open area in the Gush Etzion area on Tuesday due to difficult weather conditions.
During the recovery operation today, the damaged aircraft became detached while being airlifted and crashed. No injuries were reported.
Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar has ordered the establishment of a military investigative committee to probe the incident.
Black Hawk helicopters, known in the IAF as the Yanshuf — Owl in Hebrew — are used for both routine transportation missions and to drop off and pick up troops during military operations.
דובר צה"ל:
במהלך השבוע (ג'), נחת מסוק מסוג 'ינשוף' בעקבות תנאי מזג האוויר בשטח פתוח בחטיבת עציון.
הבוקר (ו'), במהלך ניסיון איסוף המסוק, אירעה תאונה והמסוק התקול התנתק והתרסק – אין נפגעים.מפקד חיל האוויר, אלוף תומר בר, הנחה על הקמת ועדת חקירה חיילית לתחקור התאונה. pic.twitter.com/aWp7LqgyOH
— מה חדש. What's new❓ (@Gloz111) January 16, 2026
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