The Royal Netherlands Air Force’s latest detachment of six Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to Afghanistan got off to a bad start on 30 April, when one of its aircraft was damaged just one day after the unit conducted its first operational flight. 

The Apache was blown over (pictured below) by a taxiing Ilyushin Il-76 transport while parked at Kandahar airfield, coming to rest on its starboard weapons pylon and main rotor. A replacement will be deployed while the damaged aircraft is assessed.

Netherlands Apache blown over 02 W445
© Royal Netherlands Air Force

Netherlands Apache Blown over 01 W445

Source: Flight International