A Czech army UH-1Y Venom helicopter carrying five soldiers crashed on Wednesday afternoon at the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base in Náměšť nad Oslavou, killing one servicemember and injuring four others, the defence ministry said.
Emergency crews treated seven people at the scene, transporting three with serious injuries to hospitals in Brno, one lightly wounded person to Jihlava, and three suffering smoke inhalation to Třebíč. Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna and air force commander Petr Tománek travelled to the base. The military suspended all H-1 system helicopters pending an investigation.
The Czech Republic purchased eight Venoms and four Vipers in 2019 for 14.6 billion koruna. The Venom is manufactured by Bell Textron and powered by General Electric engines. Rescue operations involved multiple ground teams and air ambulances.