Technical issue forces helicopter to land in field
AN Army helicopter had to make an emergency landing in a field near Trawsfynydd last week.
The Apache attack helicolpter landed on Thursday evening after reportedly suffering a technical issue.
The same helicopter then landed at an airport just 50 miles away the next day after reportedly experiencing a further issue.
No-one was injured as a result of the landings.
The Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter landed in a field in Trawsfynydd on Thursday following a electrical fault.
Engineers repaired the gunship overnight and sent it on its way on Friday morning.
But the aircraft landed at Welshpool airport later that morning following reports of another electrical issue onboard.
The helicopter had been out on a training exercise with two others from RAF Valley on Anglesey when it ran into difficulty.
It landed safely at the midWales airport, where crews gave onlookers a tour of the impressive aircraft.
Ian Francis, who arrived at Welshpool shortly after the Apache landed, said: “I call in to the airport as I’m an amateur tog (photographer). It’s always worth the stop off as you never know what you might find.”
It is not known if the helicopter remains at the airport or whether it has returned to base.
Last Thursday, following the initial precautionary landing, it flew to safety in a field around two miles south of Trawsfynydd and landed on a farm known as Ffridd Bryn Coch.
Apache helicopters are designed to hunt and destroy tanks and can operate in all weathers at any time of the day.
They have the capability to classify up to 256 potential tar- Pictures: Erfyl Lloyd Davies, Ian Francis gets in a matter of seconds.
They carry a mix of weapons including rockets, Hellfire missiles and a chain gun as well as a defensive aid suite.