Israel's air force has now appointed a commission to investigate last week's collision between two Apache helicopters on night operations along the border between Israel and Lebanon.

An Air Force major was killed in the crash, and three other airmen were seriously hurt.

We now know quite a bit more than when Aero-News first reported on the mid-air last week. Military officials in Jerusalem say the Apaches were flying in close formation, just inside the Israeli border, with lights off.

Investigators say the rotor of one helo apparently made contact with the tail of the other... bringing both Apaches down.

The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz says both pilots tried to make emergency landings... but ended up crashing within a few hundred yards of each other.

It was the second of two aviation-related incidents that have occurred during the latest outbreak of fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas. Wednesday... the two crew members aboard an F-16 taking of on a bombing mission from a base in southern Israel were forced to eject when their aircraft apparently suffered a flat tire.

The two crewmen were okay... but the aircraft was badly damaged.

FMI: www.iaf.mil.il