Black Hawk Down on Busy Boulevard, as Helicopter Malfunctions During Exercise

July 20 is Romanian Aviation Day and, on the morning of July 15, several birds were in the air to rehearse for the planned air parade to mark the occasion. It has since been canceled, local media outlet Digi24 reports.

The same outlet notes that, while the exact causes of the incident are to be determined by the ongoing investigation, it is believed the helicopter experienced a malfunction in mid-air. The first video at the bottom of the page shows it flying in formation, before starting to lose altitude fast, to the point where it’s flying right above Aviatorilor Boulevard (Aviators' Boulevard, the mother of all ironies).

The Black Hawk continues to drop, clipping trees and bringing down a pair of utility poles, before it lands safely in Charles de Gaulle Square. There were no injuries and very little damage, which is perhaps the most surprising part and maybe a testament to the skills of the pilots. Reports note that the two utility poles fell on a couple of cars, causing some damage. The pilots were not hurt either.

Traffic was blocked in the area for a while. The helicopter will be taken to the Mihai Kogalniceanu airbase for the duration of the investigation, with the U.S. Embassy in the country saying that updates on the incident will be offered in due time.

Aircraft making emergency landings on busy streets and highways are not such a rare sight. However, this is perhaps a first: it’s usually small, 2-passenger planes or the occasional small helicopter that make this kind of headlines. The Black Hawk is a troop or cargo military helicopter, with the ability to carry up to 14 personnel in full gear or 20 lightly equipped personnel, or 22,000 pounds (1,000 kg) in total, plus an additional 9,000 pounds (4,082 kg) as an external load.