Army resumes operation of Surion choppers after inspection
SEOUL Dec. 11 (Yonhap) -- The Army on Wednesday resumed the operation of Surion helicopters, 37 days after one of them made an emergency landing due to signs of a malfunction during a flight.
Last month, a Surion chopper made a preventive landing at a military airbase in Yanggu, 175 kilometers northeast of Seoul, after a slight vibration was detected while taking part in an exercise.
"We had suspended operation of all the Surion choppers since last month's preventive landing," the Army said in a statement. "According to inspection results, the vibration occurred after a fastening bolt of a shock absorber of one of the four main rotors was loosened."
The helicopter's manufacturer, Korea Aerospace Industries, has been taking safety measures on the choppers, and the Army plans to put the choppers into operation in the order that inspections are completed.
The Army currently operates some 110 Surion choppers.
This undated file photo shows indigenous Surion utility helicopters that South Korea has developed. (Yonhap)
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