The Air Force helicopter carrying President IsaacHerzog was forced to make an emergency landing at Palmachim Air Base today (Thursday) after hitting a bird during flight.
The president was on his way from the memorial ceremony for the fallen of Operation Protective Edge on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem to comfort mourners in central Israel, when, during the flight, the helicopter was struck by a bird.
Following the incident, the decision was made to undertake an immediate emergency landing at Palmachim Air Base. Air Force emergency forces were deployed to the scene, but the landing was conducted safely and without injuries.
After landing safely, the president waited briefly at the base, and later, a replacement helicopter was made available to him. After a few minutes, Herzog continued his routine as planned.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit stated: "Earlier today (Thursday), during a routine flight with the President of Israel aboard an IDF helicopter, the helicopter landed at an Israeli Air Force base in central Israel following impact with a bird. No injuries or no damage were reported. As part of standard procedure, the flight crew transferred to another helicopter and continued the flight."
"The helicopter was transferred to Israeli Air Force technical personnel for maintenance in order to return it to operational service as soon as possible. The incident is under review," the military stated.