List of aviation accidents and incidents in the war in Afghanistan
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The following is a list aviation accidents and incidents in the war in Afghanistan. It covers helicopters , fixed-wing aircraft and UAVs.
- August 15: During the fall of Kabul, 22 military planes and 24 helicopters of the Afghan Air Force fled over the border to Uzbekistan over the weekend, carrying 585 Afghan personnel,[1] an Afghan Air Force Embraer 314 crashed in Uzbekistan's Surxondaryo Region. Two pilots ejected and landed with parachutes.[2] Initially, the Prosecutor General's office in Uzbekistan issued a statement saying that an Afghan military plane had collided mid-air with an Uzbekistan Air Force MiG-29, however it retracted the statement about the mid-air collision later.[1] Another two helicopters and three planes from Afghanistan carrying 143 military servicemen fled over the border with Tajikistan as well.[3]
- July 29: An Afghan Army MD 500 helicopter crashed in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Both pilots survived.[4]
- July 26: An Afghan Army Mi-17 helicopter crashed in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Nobody was hurt but the helicopter was subsequently destroyed.[5][6]
- July 11: (2) Taliban announced the destruction of two Afghan UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters in Kunduz Airport following an infiltration attack[7] later releasing images.[8]
- June 20: An Afghan Army Mi-17 helicopter is lost in Kharwar base, Logar province.[9]
- June 16: An Afghan Army UH-60A damaged by a hit on the ground with an SPG-9 while refueling in Ghazni at a local base.[10]
- June 8: An Afghan Army Mi-17 helicopter was lost in Jaghatu district killing three and injuring one Afghan service member. The Taliban claimed the helicopter was shot down, as well as one Afghan official. Afghan authorities began an investigation on the event.[11][12]
- May 10: An Afghan Army MD 500 helicopter crashed in Kandahar province injuring the occupants.[13]
- April 1: A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter of the Afghan Air Force was shot down in Nahri Saraj District of Helmand Province. Afghan Ministry of Defense confirmed the helicopter "crash landed", and acknowledged the death of three crew members.[14]
- March 18: A Mi-17 helicopter of the Afghan Army was shot down by a local anti-taliban militia led by ethnic warlord Abdul Ghani Alipur[15] in the Behsud district of Maidan Wardak. Nine members of the Afghan security forces died in the incident.[16] Two days later a video appeared, showing the helicopter being hit while increasing altitude just after unloading troops and cargo. A missile hits the helicopter, clipping the tail boom, with the helicopter spinning out of control and crashing. The missile was claimed to be a "laser-guided weapon".[17]
- November 11: An Afghan army helicopter, reportedly a Mi-17 crashed during takeoff in Hisarak district, Nangarhar province due to a technical failure. one crew member and one security personnel died, two others were wounded.[18]
- (2) October 14: Two Afghan army Mi-17 helicopters collided while taking off in Nawa district, Helmand province. Nine Afghan service members died.[19]
- September 26: An Afghan army MD-530F helicopter crashed in the city of Pul-e-Khumri due to a technical issue. Both pilots were killed.[20]
- July 27: A Black Hawk helicopter of the Afghan army was shot down by the Taliban using an anti-tank guided missile, while the helicopter was landing in the province of Helmand.[21]
- January 27: A United States Air Force E-11A was reported crashed in Afghanistan by US officials. The Taliban claimed it was shot down with all its occupants killed, which US officials denied. With the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan on 30 August 2021, this was the last acknowledged US fatal aviation loss of the war.[22]
See also: 2020 United States Air Force E-11A crash
- November 20: A US AH-64D Apache helicopter crashed in Logar province, Afghanistan with initial reports mentioning that the rotor of the helicopter clipped a mountain ridge, ruling out enemy fire. Both crew members died in the crash.[23] The Taliban claimed they shot it down, mentioning a different model, a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter, downed in the eastern Logar province. The US denied the Taliban's claim.[24][25]
- October 15: An Afghan army Mi-17 crashed due to technical faults on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif. At least seven Afghan military personnel were killed in the crash.[26]
- May 25: A CH-47F Chinook helicopter made a crash landing in Helmand Province, all onboard survived, but were injured. The helicopter was totally destroyed.[27][28]
- October 30: An Afghan army helicopter, probably a Mi-17, crashed in the Farah province in bad weather in the western Farah province, killing all 25 on board, including senior officials.[29][30] At the time of the crash it was reported as being the eighth Afghan military helicopter crash in 2018.[31]
- October 27: A Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter of the 160th SOAR (A) crashed after hitting a tree after taking troops for a night raid to Kharwar District in Logar Province.[32] One soldier died and six were injured.[33][34]
- mid May: An Afghan army Mi-17 was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, as it landed on a hilltop outpost in an attack similar to the one on the previous year. The video was released by the Taliban at the end of May.[35]
- March 29: A USAF F-16CM fighter jet crashed just after takeoff at Bagram airbase at 20:30 local time after suffering an engine failure. The pilot ejected safely.[36][37]
- March 24: An Afghan army Mi-17 was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, as it landed on a hilltop outpost in the Nari district in Kunar. The video was released by the Taliban in mid April.[38][39][40]
- October 11 : A Westland Puma HC Mk 2 helicopter crashed while attempting to land at the NATO Resolute Support HQ in Kabul, killing 5 of the 10 people on board. Among the casualties were two British and two US airmen, as well as a French civilian contractor.[41][42][43]
- October 2 : A C-130J operated by Dyess Air Force Base, stationed at Bagram Airfield, crashed immediately after takeoff at Jalalabad Airfield killing all 6 airmen and 5 defense contractors on board, along with two people on the ground.[44]
- May 31: One US CH-53 Sea Stallion was destroyed in a hard landing, the crew survived.[45][46]
- May 28: One US Army crew member died when a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan. The helicopter crashed when it hit a cellphone tower in the Marouf district of Kandahar province. Thirteen crew members were injured.[47]
- April 26: Five British service members were killed when a British Westland Lynx helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the NATO-led coalition forces and the British Ministry of Defense said. The crash was probably caused by loss of situational awareness and controlled flight into terrain but the military investigation did rule out technical failure or enemy action.[48][49]
- January 10: Two US service members and a contractor pilot died near Bagram Air Base when a Beechcraft RC-12 Guardrail crashed.[50]
- December 17: Six U.S. Army service members were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in southern Afghanistan (near Zabul province) after damage from an improvised explosive device while in low level flight, according to U.S. and NATO officials. One person on board the aircraft was injured and survived.[51]
- September 25: An Afghan army MD-530F helicopter was destroyed by an improvised explosive device, as it landed on a hilltop outpost during a training sortie near Shindand air base. The helicopter was crewed by an Afghan student pilot and his American instructor.[52]
- June 11: A NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) helicopter made an emergency landing in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan.[53]
- May 19: A USAF C-130J Super Hercules crashed coming from Kandahar on a medical evacuation mission. It slammed hard onto Shank's runway, smashing its right wing and outboard engine nacelle.[54]
- May 3: A US Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft of the USAF crashed in Kyrgyzstan on shortly after takeoff. The three crew members were killed in the crash.[55]
- April 29: National Airlines Flight 102 was a cargo flight operated by National Airlines between the British military base Camp Bastion in Afghanistan and Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai, with a refueling stop at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. On 29 April 2013, the Boeing 747-400 operating the flight crashed moments after taking off from Bagram, killing all seven people on board.[56]
- April 27: A USAF MC-12 Liberty aircraft crashed in Shahjoi district of Zabul province, about 110 miles (180 kilometers) northeast of Kandahar Air Field, killing four coalition troops.[57]
- April 9: A U.S. AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed in Pachir Agam district of Nangarhar province of eastern Afghanistan killing two US soldiers.[58][59]
- April 3: A US F-16 fighter crashed near Bagram Airfield in eastern Afghanistan's Parwan province killing a US military pilot.[60][61]
- March 16: A US OH-58 Kiowa crashed in Daman District of Kandahar Province, killing one US soldier and injuring another[62]
- March 11: A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the Daman district of Kandahar Province killing five American soldiers.[63]
- February 7: A US OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, but no crew members were seriously injured.[64][65]
- October 1: A US CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan.[66]
- September 15: One C-130 Hercules was lost[67] and six USMC VMA-211 AV-8B Harrier II fighter jets were destroyed and two damaged beyond repair while parked on the ground during an attack on Camp Bastion. This became the worst U.S. aircraft loss in one day since the Vietnam War.[68] Two Marines of the VMA-211, one of them a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed in the attack.[69]
- September 10: Three members of the Afghan National Security Forces were killed and US CH-47 Chinook was destroyed on Bagram Airfield according to NATO officials.[70][71]
- September 5: A US OH-58 Kiowa crashed in Babus area Logar sitrict. Two US servicemen died in the accident.[72]
- August 29: A US Bell UH-1Y Venom of HMLA-369 helicopter crashed in Helmand province, killing two Australian soldiers.[73]
- August 27: A US CH-47 Chinook helicopter made a hard landing in the eastern province of Logar. The aircraft was heavily damaged, so the crew destroyed it before they were evacuated from the scene.[74]
- August 16: A US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down during a firefight in Shah Wali Kot District, Khandahar province. Seven American servicemen and four Afghan nationals died in the crash.[75]
- July 18: A US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the area of the military operation southwest of Chaghcharan, injuring two troops serving with the U.S.-led military coalition according to NATO.[76][77]
- June 22: An Australian Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter was badly damaged after a hard landing in Kandahar province.[78] The damaged helicopter was evacuated to the Kandahar airbase and written off.[79]
- June 21: A US helicopter crashed in Khost province in southeast Afghanistan.[citation needed]
- June 6: A US OH-58 Kiowa crashed in Ghazni province, killing both servicemen.[80]
- May 28: A US Army AH-64 Apache crashed in Wardak Province during a routine patrol. No enemy activity was reported in the area. Both crew members were killed in the crash.[81][82]
- May 28: A US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Paktika Province. Multiple injured, successful MEDEVAC no deaths.[citation needed]
- April 19: A US Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Helmand province. At least four US troops were killed after the helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.[83]
- March 16: A Turkish Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Kabul, killing all twelve Turkish soldiers and two Afghan interpreters on board in addition to three civilians on the ground.[84]
- February 6: A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed with no casualties. A video of the incident was released six weeks later on internet.[85]
- January 19: A US CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing six Marines.[86]
- September 28: A US AH-1W Supercobra helicopter crashed on take-off in Helmand province killing one Marine.[87][88]
- August 8: A US CH-47 helicopter made a hard landing in Paktia province. There were no fatalities.[89]
- August 6: A US CH-47 Chinook helicopter being flown by the 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment and 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment was shot down by an RPG killing 30 American and eight Afghan soldiers. Some of the casualties were from The US Navy's SEAL Team Six[90][91]
- July 25: A CH-47 Chinook was shot down by an RPG near Camp Nangalam in Kunar Province. Two coalition service members were injured.[92]
- June 24: A NATO helicopter made a hard landing in Helmand.[93]
- June 15: An Afghan army Mil Mi-17 crashed in the Kunar province injuring six.[94]
- June 12: A Polish Land Forces Mil Mi-24V was destroyed after crashing at the Warrior base in Ghazni province. The loss was recorded in video.[95][96]
- June 10: A French Army Aérospatiale Gazelle crashed about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Bagram in the north of the country in difficult weather conditions. One person died, the pilot was seriously injured[97]
- June 5: A US OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed in the Sabari district of the eastern province of Khost, with the Taliban claiming to have shot the aircraft down. Two US service members were killed.[98][72]
- May 30: An Australian Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter crashed in Zabul Province 90 km east of Tarin Kowt. The Chinook caught fire after impact, and one of the passengers on board the aircraft later died from injuries sustained in the crash. Five other Australians on board the chopper suffered minor injuries.[99]
- May 26: A US AH-64D Longbow helicopter crashed in Paktika Province. One crew member was killed in the incident.[100]
- May 24: A NATO chopper crashed in western Afghanistan, no victims were reported.[101]
- May 24: A French Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000D crashed 100 kilometers west of Farah. Both crew members successfully ejected and were rescued.[102]
- May 15: A Canadian CH-47D Chinook turned on its side as it landed. Four Canadian soldiers were injured during a "hard landing" on a river bed in Afghanistan.[103]
- May 11: An Afghan army Mi-17 crashed in the Nuristan province after hitting a tree, injuring nine soldiers.[104]
- April 23: A US OH-58 Kiowa helicopter went down after being shot by a RPG in Kapisa province, northeast of the capital Kabul. One crew member was killed.[105][72]
- February 5: A French Army Eurocopter Tiger crashed in Afghanistan's eastern district of Lateh Band near the capital Kabul.[106][107]
- January 26: A Polish Land Forces Mil Mi-24V rolled over on its side and burned out after experiencing mechanical trouble during takeoff from a military base in Ghazni district of Ghazni province.[108]
- November 28: A French Navy Dassault Rafale fighter crashed off Pakistan after its pilot parachuted to safety. The Rafale was operating from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which at the time was supporting NATO operations in Afghanistan.[109]
- November 3: A French Army Aérospatiale Gazelle crashed in Nijrab province. Both pilots escaped unhurt.[110]
- October 12: A US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter had just landed and had been off-loading when an RPG was fired into the cargo ramp. An Afghan interpreter was killed and seven ISAF servicemembers and an Afghan Border Police officer were injured.[111]
- September 21: A US Army UH-60 Blackhawk crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing 9 US soldiers. Cause of the crash was unknown but the Taliban have claimed to have shot it down. The helicopter was taking part of a Special Operations mission. One Afghan Army soldier and one US civilian were wounded.[112]
- August 19: Eight service members belonging to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were injured when their helicopter made a hard landing in southern Afghanistan.[113]
- August 10: A British RAF CH-47D Chinook crashed in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. "The helicopter due to technical problems crashed in Gereshk district at 04:00 a.m. local time, as a result one soldier sustained injury," spokesman for provincial administration Daud Ahmadi told Xinhua. Meanwhile, a NATO source with press department in southern region confirmed the incident, saying it was a hard landing and all four aboard were rescued safe and sound.[114][115]
- August 5: A Canadian CH-47D Chinook was shot down in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. It made a hard landing and burned out on the ground, wounding eight soldiers.[116]
- July 26: A US CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Pul-e-Charkhi area east of the capital city of Kabul. Two NATO troops were killed.[117]
- July 22: A US AH-1W SuperCobra was shot down in Helmand province, killing two US servicemen.[118][119]
- June 23: A British RAF Mk3 Merlin made a heavy landing at a forward operating base in the Lashkar Gar area of Helmand province. No-one was seriously injured and the incident was determined to be a non-hostile event.[120] A U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E from HMH-466 was used to recover the aircraft and transport it to Camp Bastion.[121]
- June 21: A US Army UH-60 Blackhawk crashed in northern Kandahar Province, killing three Australian Commandos and the US crew chief, and injuring another seven Australians and a US crewman.[122]
- June 9: A Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk CSAR helicopter was shot down in Helmand province, killing five American airmen.[123][124]
- May 21: A Westland Sea King carrying five troops was hit by an RPG and crash-landed in Nad-e Ali, Helmand Province. The five were injured but not seriously.[125][126]
- May 14: A US helicopter made a hard landing in Kandahar Province causing injuries to several coalition and Afghan military personnel. It was destroyed on the site by ISAF members to prevent it from falling into insurgents' hands[127]
- May 10: A US UH-60 Black Hawk made a controlled landing after being hit by enemy fire in Helmand Province. All crewmembers were safely returned to the base. The helicopter was destroyed by international forces.[128]
- April 9: A US Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashed near Qalat, Zabul Province, killing three US service members and one government contractor.[129] This is the first combat loss of an Osprey.[130]
- March 31: A US Navy E-2 Hawkeye surveillance plane stationed with the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower crashed in the Arabian sea at approximately 2 p.m. local time while returning from an operational flight conducted as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. The one U.S. crew member presumed missing was declared dead and three were rescued.[131]
- March 28: A US Army UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in Zabul province in southern Afghanistan. Fourteen ISAF and Afghan service members were injured.[132]
- March 23: A Turkish Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter experienced technical problems as it tried to land at a base in Maidan Shar, the capital of Wardak province. It hit a hill as it was coming down and rolled over.[133]