By Lee Min-hyung
The government will carry out an intense and transparent investigation into Surion helicopters to prevent future crashes of the "accident-prone" chopper.
A special investigative team ― consisting of aviation experts from the military and civil sectors ― will be formed today to investigate the exact causes behind the recent Surion crash at a Marine Corps military base that killed five soldiers.
Of note is whether the government and military will investigate in a thorough and trustworthy manner. This is crucial at a time when a sense of distrust of the military is prevalent from the public. Most people here believe the military will cover up the case when the independent investigation begins.
Bereaved families of the victims are on the same side, demanding the government and military investigate the accident in collaboration with experts from the private sector and foreign countries.
Three weeks after the fatal accident, no specific progress has been made in identifying the cause of the crash, due largely to disagreements between the military and bereaved families.
Every time the scandal-tainted Surion chopper crashes, the government and its manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), get busy promoting that its internal problems have been fixed and pledging to stop the recurrence of any accidents.
But concerns over structural defects are resurfacing after a 10-second-long surveillance video showed the rotor blades of the helicopter separating from the fuselage for unconfirmed reasons only a few seconds after it left the ground.
The Marine Corps declined to give details over the accident, saying it was not proper to make official remarks on the investigation, as nothing has been confirmed over its cause.
A group of 40 experts will work for the civilian-government-military joint investigation team. The Surion manufacturer also expressed its willingness to participate in the investigation upon the government's request.
"We are willing to dispatch experts upon the request of the investigation team, but so far we have not been asked to offer any technical aid surrounding the accident," a KAI spokeswoman said. "We are not sure how long the investigation will take."
She declined to comment further, as the investigation is not yet concluded.
Last month, KAI expressed its willingness to ask for technical advice from Airbus Helicopters which produced major parts of the Surion's transmission system.
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| Seen above are rotor blades separated from an ill-fated Surion helicopter that crashed last month at a military airfield in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. The accident left five soldiers aboard dead. / Yonhap |
A special investigative team ― consisting of aviation experts from the military and civil sectors ― will be formed today to investigate the exact causes behind the recent Surion crash at a Marine Corps military base that killed five soldiers.
Of note is whether the government and military will investigate in a thorough and trustworthy manner. This is crucial at a time when a sense of distrust of the military is prevalent from the public. Most people here believe the military will cover up the case when the independent investigation begins.
Bereaved families of the victims are on the same side, demanding the government and military investigate the accident in collaboration with experts from the private sector and foreign countries.
Three weeks after the fatal accident, no specific progress has been made in identifying the cause of the crash, due largely to disagreements between the military and bereaved families.
Every time the scandal-tainted Surion chopper crashes, the government and its manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), get busy promoting that its internal problems have been fixed and pledging to stop the recurrence of any accidents.
But concerns over structural defects are resurfacing after a 10-second-long surveillance video showed the rotor blades of the helicopter separating from the fuselage for unconfirmed reasons only a few seconds after it left the ground.
The Marine Corps declined to give details over the accident, saying it was not proper to make official remarks on the investigation, as nothing has been confirmed over its cause.
A group of 40 experts will work for the civilian-government-military joint investigation team. The Surion manufacturer also expressed its willingness to participate in the investigation upon the government's request.
"We are willing to dispatch experts upon the request of the investigation team, but so far we have not been asked to offer any technical aid surrounding the accident," a KAI spokeswoman said. "We are not sure how long the investigation will take."
She declined to comment further, as the investigation is not yet concluded.
Last month, KAI expressed its willingness to ask for technical advice from Airbus Helicopters which produced major parts of the Surion's transmission system.
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