A Cambodian military helicopter that went missing over two weeks ago with two pilots aboard has been found on a mountaintop in the Cardamom Mountains in Pursat province. The wreckage of the Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter was spotted during a search flight, but no survivors were immediately seen. Military recovery personnel have been dispatched to the crash site, which is in a densely forested area with difficult access due to bad weather. The Defense Ministry did not mention any survivors in its statement, but an unnamed senior defense official mentioned that one pilot’s body had been spotted and the search would continue for the other pilot.
The helicopter was on a training flight and lost contact with air force headquarters on July 12 in bad weather conditions. An extensive search effort was launched the following day. A photo circulating on social media shows the helicopter broken into multiple pieces, partially hidden by foliage, although the authenticity of the photo has yet to be confirmed.
This incident is not the first involving a Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter in Cambodia. In 2014, another Z-9 helicopter crashed into a pond south of Phnom Penh, resulting in the deaths of two generals who led the air force’s helicopter unit as well as two pilots.
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