11 Dead in Macedonia Helicopter Crash
Pastor Dale Morgan
11 Dead in Macedonia Helicopter Crash*
The Associated Press
Saturday, January 12, 2008; 4:44 PM
SKOPJE, Macedonia -- A Macedonian Army helicopter returning from a
peacekeeping mission in Bosnia crashed Saturday in foggy conditions,
killing all 11 people on board, the Defense Ministry said.
The MI-17 helicopter crashed around noon about 15 miles southeast of the
capital, Skopje, minutes before it was to land. Villagers nearby heard
two explosions.
The helicopter was returning from Bosnia, where Macedonia contributes 30
troops to a peacekeeping mission. It was the deadliest ever accident for
the Macedonian air force.
"This is a terrible accident and a big tragedy. My condolences go to the
families of the soldiers," Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said.
The government established a special body to investigate the cause of
the accident.
The Chief of the Army, Gen. Miroslav Stojanovski, told the government
the helicopter was serviced regularly and operated by professional pilots.