Army air death crash probe starts

The Ministry of Defence has begun an inquiry into how a Lynx helicopter crashed in the Czech Republic, killing six British soldiers.

The helicopter was on a training exercise when it crashed near Brno.

The bodies of the victims - two of whom were aircrew - have been recovered from the scene of the crash.

What caused the accident is not yet clear, with no comment offered on local reports that there may have been a collision with overhead wires.

Lynx helicopters have a history of engine and rotor problems but it is not clear if mechanical failure was to blame on this occasion.

A Czech defence spokesman said the soldiers were taking part in an Anglo-Czech military training exercise called Operation Flying Rhino.

Their families have now been informed MoD spokesman Profile of a 'deadly tank killer'

The crash happened at about noon BST on Thursday and involved troops based in Germany.

An MoD spokesman said two of the air crew were from 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, based in Gutersloh in Germany. The other four were from the 12th Regiment Royal Artillery, based at Sennelager in Germany.

An MoD spokesman told the BBC its investigators would be working with Czech emergency services at the scene, where six bodies were recovered.

"Their families have now been informed," an MoD spokesman said.

Part of the helicopter's wreckage was found submerged in a creek

"There will be a board of inquiry set up to look at all the circumstances around the incident," the spokesman added. "We are awaiting full confirmation of what happened."

The MoD is also deciding whether to cancel the remainder of the 10-day exercise, due to run until 17 September, BBC defence correspondent Jane Hughes said.

Some reports suggest the helicopter had been flying low to the ground when it came down near Namest nad Oslavou, about 110 miles (180 km) south east of Prague.

Sabina Introvicova, of the Czech air force, told the BBC it was a "really terrible situation" for everyone involved. She confirmed there had been no civilian casualties.

The head of the regional emergency services, Jan Sedlak, said rescue workers had found six bodies but no survivors at the scene in an uninhabited valley.

LYNX HELICOPTER Crew: Two, plus up to 10 troops and one door gunner Length: 12.06m Height: 3.4m Engines: Two 850 shp Rolls-Royce Gem 41s Max Speed : 330 kph Range: 885km Armament (if fitted): Eight TOW Anti-armour Missiles, two to four 7.62mm GPMG machine guns Source: Ministry of Defence

Part of the helicopter was burnt, he said, with the remaining wreckage submerged in a creek.

Czech news agency CTK quoted rescue workers at the scene saying the soldiers died in a fire that broke out after the aircraft came down.

Those killed in the crash were part of a 450-strong British contingent which arrived at the Namest nad Oslavou airbase on Monday for the 10-day exercise.

British and Czech pilots were searching for ground targets and then simulating attacks from the air as part of their training.