Crash Second In One Week For Ecuadorian Military

An Ecuadorian pilot who survived ejecting from his stricken fighter and a rescuer were lost this week when a hoist line broke as the pilot was being retrieved by a helicopter.

Reuters reports Rafael Durango and an unidentified co-pilot ejected from their BAC MK-89 Strikemaster training aircraft (type shown above) Wednesday near the Colombian border. Two helicopters were dispatched to the scene; one successfully retrieved the co-pilot, but problems arose while attempting to lift Durango to safety.

"A cord that was attached to a helicopter broke and the pilot and one of the rescuers fell, dying in the rescue operation," said an Ecuadorian military official.

The accident occurred during a training mission in the northeastern Sucumbios province. Ecuador maintains a significant military presence in the region due to frequent incursions by Colombian guerrillas.

Hostile action is not believed to have been a factor in the crash, which was the second in a week for Ecuador's military. As ANN reported, on March 19 a Beechcraft King Air 200 crashed into an apartment building during a training exercise over northern Quito, claiming the seven onboard the plane and two on the ground.

FMI: www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ec.html