ATHENS, Greece, March 19 (UPI) -- Greek authorities are pointing to mechanical failure as the cause of a military helicopter crash that killed three army officers.
The helicopter went down in a wheat field in northern Greece some 18 miles east of the town of Thessaloniki, the Kathimerini news agency reported Wednesday.
The aircraft had nearly reached the military base of Rentina when it crashed and burned Tuesday. The remains of the three men on board were found by firefighters who extinguished the blaze.
One witness told Kathimerini he saw an in-air explosion, indicating there may have been a problem with the helicopter's fuel supply.
In 2006, four Greek army staff members died when their helicopter, a type similar to the one that went down Tuesday, crashed during a training flight.
