JERUSALEM (VINnews) — An Israeli Air Force Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday morning in the Gush Etzion area of Judea-Samaria while being recovered after an emergency landing earlier this week due to severe weather, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The helicopter, known in the IAF as the Yanshuf (Hebrew for “Owl”), had made a precautionary landing Tuesday in an open area in the Etzion Brigade sector amid difficult weather conditions, according to the IDF.

During the recovery operation, the damaged aircraft became detached from the towing harness while being airlifted by another helicopter — reported as a CH-53 Yasur heavy-lift aircraft — and fell to the ground near residential areas. No injuries were reported in the incident.

Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar has ordered the establishment of a military investigative committee to examine the circumstances of the crash, including the failure of the lifting harness.

Black Hawk helicopters in Israeli service are used for routine transportation missions and for inserting and extracting troops during military operations. The fleet has been a key asset for the IAF since the 1990s