China “lost” a Z-8 helicopter during exercise in Thailand

Update: The exercise was a simulation.

China’s Ministry of National Defense disclosed that a burning helicopter was pushed off the deck of Type 071 LPD Changbai Shan during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Military Medicine (MM) / Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise in September.

By Rob Schleiffert from Holland (Z8J Chinese Navy) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The aircraft is likely to be a Changhe Z-8, a Chinese copy of the SA 321 Super Frelon, according to an earlier press release by the ministry.

It had to make a force landing aboard the ship and was on fire, the deputy commanding officer of the vessel made a decision to push the aircraft off the deck after he discovered fuel was leaking while putting out the fire.