A senior Israel Air Force official says the helicopter that crashed off the coast of Haifa on Monday night suffered a malfunction in its left motor, forcing the pilots to bring it down for a crash landing on the water.

However, investigators are mystified as to why the pilots weren’t able to escape the downed helicopter, despite a third crew member successfully getting out and the helicopter’s flotation system apparently working properly.

According to Brig. Gen. Amir Lazar, the chopper – a Eurocopter AS565 Panther – is designed to be able to make water landings in the event of an emergency, with a special flotation system installed on the crafts.

Lazar said that the pilots activated the flotation system upon initiating their emergency descent, which allowed the third crewmember – an aerial observer – to get out.

“We don’t know why the pilots’ didn’t,” he says.

The helicopter eventually sank and rescuers found the pilots still in the cockpit with their seat belts fastened.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)