A military helicopter has crashed in the mountains after plunging from the sky as all three crew members escaped with minor injuries.
The chopper was carrying out a surveillance operation to prevent illicit activities when it went down at around 7.30am yesterday (12 Aug).
The aircraft was forced into an emergency landing after appearing to lose power.
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Three service members suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received medical care at the scene.
The aircraft, an MI-17 belonging to the Mexican Navy, crashed near La Garita in Jalisco State, Mexico.
A spokesperson for the Navy Secretariat confirmed the details in an official statement.
They said: “At 07:30 hours, during surveillance actions in the La Garita area, a MI-17 helicopter of the Mexican Navy had to perform an emergency landing through a controlled descent.”
Causes of the forced landing remain under evaluation.
State governor Pablo Lemus ruled out claims that the helicopter had been shot down.
Rumours of an attack had spread quickly due to the area’s history of clashes between security forces and drug cartels.
Two aircraft were involved in the security mission.
The aircraft formed part of a joint operation with state police, as reported by Need To Know.
Videos of the crash landing went viral on social media.
Footage showed the helicopter spinning in the air before plunging on the mountainside.
The flaming wreckage was left lying on its side in an overgrown area of trees and vegetation, with thick smoke pouring from the aircraft.
The authorities are currently examining all technical and operational factors involved in the forced landing.
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