South Korean military to investigate deadly helicopter crash

SEOUL, July 18 (UPI) -- South Korea's Marine Corps has launched an investigation into a helicopter crash that killed five and injured one during a test flight Tuesday.

A joint probe involving units from Seoul's Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force will probe the accident involving the first locally-made helicopter, according to a Marine Corps official, Yonhap reported.

The MUH-1 Marineon helicopter crashed and caught fire during a test flight at a Marine base, according to No Cut News.

The official said they couldn't exclude a serious flaw with the aircraft.

The crash is expected to put a hold on the Marines' plan to adopt 28 helicopters by 2023, Yonhap said. The Marine Corps has been training pilots and mechanics to create an aviation unit by 2021, according to Chosun Ilbo.

The Marineon helicopter is a remodeled version of the South Korean Army's first transport utility helicopter, Surion, ambitiously developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries since 2006.

The crashed helicopter was a locally produced helicopter made for the Marine Corps, Yonhap reported.