A South Korean army AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter trains over Kangwon province, South Korea, Aug. 8, 2008. (John Hageman/U.S. Navy)
Two South Korean army pilots were killed this week when their AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter crashed about 50 miles northeast of Seoul, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
The pilots were training on emergency procedures when the aircraft crashed for unknown reasons at 11:04 a.m. Monday in Gapyeong county, Gyeonggi province, a ministry spokesman told reporters in a text message that day.
The pilots, both warrant officers, were immediately transferred to a civilian hospital, where they died, the spokesman said.
Emergency procedure training involves landing practice with engines turning and simulating irregular conditions, he added. Some South Korean government officials must speak to the media on condition of anonymity.
The South Korean army grounded all AH-1S helicopters after the crash, the spokesman said. The accident response headquarters is investigating the incident.
“It’s difficult to give a definitive answer, such as aging of an aircraft or personnel issues,” army spokesman Col. Bae Seok-jin said at a regular press briefing Tuesday.
The army planned to retire the Cobras starting in 2028 and complete the process by 2031, according to a Monday report by Yonhap News Agency.
“We honor the two army helicopter pilots who passed away yesterday and extend our deepest condolences to their bereaved families,” ministry spokeswoman Chung Binna said at the press briefing.
President Lee Jae-myung paid his condolences Tuesday in a post on X.
“We will always remember that our peaceful daily lives are based on the devotion and sacrifice of true soldiers,” he wrote.
The Cobras are being replaced with Light Armed Helicopters developed between 2015 and 2023, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said in a December 2024 news release.
