The crash of the Mi-17 military helicopter near the village of Hradisko (Prešov region) on Tuesday afternoon claimed the life of one of the three crew members, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Peter Gajdoš said in Bratislava later in the day. "The helicopter took off from an airbase in Prešov at 1.30 p.m., and it performed routine training tasks - landing in unknown terrain", said Gajdoš. He added that contact with the helicopter's crew was lost at 2.02 p.m., and a search-and-rescue helicopter was dispatched at 2.13 p.m. to provide medical aid. The man died during resuscitation attempts, while the other two crew members sustained injuries. One of the injured men was taken with polytrauma to a hospital in Prešov, with the other man admitted to a hospital in Košice. Until the causes of the accident are ascertained, all Mi-17 helicopters of Soviet origin will be banned from flying. A commission of experts falling under the bailiwick of Chief of General Staff Milan Maxim is on its way to the site of the accident. Maxim himself will cut short his working trip abroad. Defence Minister Martin Glváč, who is now on holiday, will also return earlier than planned. The investigation will be conducted by the ministry's Military Air Force Office. Gajdoš also expressed his sympathy to the relatives of the soldier who was killed in the accident. Glváč informed President Andrej Kiska about the accident, who also conveyed his sympathy to the victim's family. "Just as it was the case with the accident of rescue workers several days ago, this case too prompts many questions as to why this happened. But no answer will bring back the father to his daughter and the husband to his wife", said the president.
