Serbia mourns rescue helicopter crew and baby passenger
A national day of mourning was declared in Serbia after an Mi-17 Army helicopter crashed during a mission to transport a five-day-old baby.
Image: Army Chief of Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic said the crew had given their lives to the citizens of Serbia (Serbian Army)
A national day of mourning was declared in Serbia after an Mi-17 Army helicopter crashed during a mission to transport a five-day-old baby. The accident occurred on 13 March as the helicopter attempted to land in Belgrade in poor visibility. All seven onboard were killed.
The Army crew members were named as pilots Major Omer Mehic and Captain Milovan Djukelic and flight engineers Ensign Nebojsa Drajic and Ensign Ivan Miladinovic. The medical crew were Dzevad Ljajic and Miroslav Veselinovic.
A press conference held on 14 March by senior officials began with a minute’s silence, followed by statements of condolence. Army Chief of Staff General Ljubisa Dikovic said that in attempting to assist the child, the crew, who were described as heroes, had given their lives to the citizens of Serbia.
The helicopter was dispatched to fly the baby, who was in urgent need of treatment, as ground transport routes had been blocked by landslides, explained Major General Ranko Zivak, commander of the Air Force and Air Defence, who discussed the mission with the crew before they launched. The child was collected without incident, but on the return flight weather conditions worsened and the crew decided to land at Nikola Tesla Airport, Belgrade. At around 22:15 hrs, two landing attempts were aborted due to poor visibility. At 22:31 hrs, communication with the helicopter was lost.
Zivak added that the crew members had received a number of awards for their lifesaving work, and would be the pride of any commander. Commander of 890 Helicopter Squadron Lt Col Miroslav Zecevic said that they had lost the best search and rescue crew in the unit. The helicopter was fully equipped with navigational aids, meteorological radar and systems for instrument approach, having been part of an upgrade programme in 2010.