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Black Hawk helicopter makes emergency landing in Bucharest

By Zarrin Ahmed
U.S. military personnel check a rotor blade on a Black Hawk helicopter that made an emergency landing in central Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday during rehearsals for a parade. Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA-EFE
U.S. military personnel check a rotor blade on a Black Hawk helicopter that made an emergency landing in central Bucharest, Romania, on Thursday during rehearsals for a parade. Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA-EFE

July 15 (UPI) -- A U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing in central Bucharest on Thursday.

The UH-60 Black Hawk from the 3rd Battalion landed safely in Charles de Gaulle Square and was removed with the coordination of the U.S. military, the Romanian air force and local authorities.

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No injuries were reported, according to a statement from the U.S. Army.

Two cars and two lighting poles were damaged, Nine O'Clock news reported, and traffic was blocked to help facilitate the landing of the helicopter.

The helicopter made a precautionary landing during a rehearsal in the square ahead of Romanian Air Force Day.

An investigation is underway, according to a press release from the U.S. Army Europe and Africa.

The aircraft, from the Army's 3rd Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, 1st Combat Aviation Brigade, is part of the unit's forward deployment from Illesheim, Germany, and operating in support of the U.S. military's Atlantic Resolve.

The helicopter was performing a training flight in rehearsals for the parade scheduled for July 20, but some planned events have been cancelled.

"The overfly part for the events of both actions which are about to take place, both the National Aviation Day on July 20, as well as the ceremony at the Triumphal Arc on July 21, which is generated by ending the mission in Afghanistan, were cancelled by order of the Minister of National Defense, so the ceremonies will be held without the flight of the aircraft," said Romanian Defense Ministry spokesman Constantin Spinu.

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Romania became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 2004 and has served as a contact point embassy for three countries in the last few years.

While not a NATO mission, U.S. personnel deployed for Atlantic Resolve participate in NATO exercises to increase interoperability and readiness.

The UH-60 Black Hawk has been in use since 1974, including service in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia.

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