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Army honors pilots killed in helicopter crash in funeral service

Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 13:05

Military personnel examine the site of an AH-1S Cobra helicopter crash in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 9. [YONHAP]

The Army on Thursday held a funeral service, led by its chief of staff, to honor two pilots killed in a helicopter crash during a training flight earlier this week.

On Monday, an AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter carrying two Army warrant officers — each in their 30s and 50s — fatally crashed in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi, during flight training for emergency procedures. No civilian damage was reported.

"The two [pilots] did not let go of their control columns until the end and protected the people's lives and safety," Army Chief of Staff Gen. Kim Gyu-ha said in the service held at a military hospital, pledging to remember their devotion and sacrifice.

The two pilots will be laid to rest at the Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul later in the day. In a review committee held earlier this week, the Army recognized that both service members were killed in the line of duty.

Following the accident, the Army has grounded all Cobra attack helicopters and launched an investigative committee comprising around 40 military, civilian and government officials to determine the exact cause of the crash.

Yonhap