Today (Thursday), Soroka Hospital reported an improvement in the condition of some of the injured. Currently, the hospital is treating 7 injured individuals, with 4 in serious condition in the intensive care units and 3 in moderate condition, one of whom has already been moved to a surgical ward.
The pilot, who was rescued after the cockpit was cut open, remains intubated but is gradually regaining consciousness. She is suffering from severe and complex injuries. All the injured are in stable condition, with multiple system injuries, and some underwent complex surgeries by multidisciplinary teams over the past 24 hours.
According to a report by News 12, the initial investigation reveals that when the Owl helicopter began its landing process around midnight, the pilot, Lieutenant Colonel G, reported that she could not identify the landing pad. At this point, the flight crew decided to "go around" to reposition for a proper landing. At this stage, and for reasons that are still unclear, the helicopter's blades struck an earthen embankment protecting the landing pad. The aircrew realized they were about to crash and communicated this over the internal radio, allowing airborne mechanics and 669 Unit fighters to begin crash response procedures. However, due to the nature of the mission and the configuration of the cockpit, most were not strapped in.
During these moments, as reported, the helicopter's rotor hit the ground, causing the helicopter to crash-land. Part of the wreckage struck a parked Hummer, and the rescue mission then began. According to the initial investigation, darkness and dust led to a loss of communication between the aircrew and the ground, and it is possible that they experienced a brief "vertigo," leading them to hit the ground.
