On December 23, 1975, a Cashel South African Air Force Alouette crash was involved in an aviation accident. 5 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Collision with a hawser cable mid-flight. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors.
On 23 December 1975, a South African Air Force Alouette III helicopter carrying two crew and four Rhodesian Army officers struck a hawser cable mid-flight and crashed near Cashel, Rhodesia.
Accident Details
On 23 December 1975, a South African Air Force Aérospatiale Alouette III helicopter was involved in a mid-air collision with a hawser cable near Cashel in Rhodesia. The aircraft, carrying a two-man crew and four Rhodesian Army officers, crashed after the impact.
Context
The accident occurred during the Rhodesian Bush War, in which Rhodesian Security Forces were engaged in conflict with ZANLA and ZIPRA insurgents. The officers aboard the helicopter were described in official accounts as some of the best personnel within the Rhodesian Security Forces, and their loss was noted as a severe blow that would prove difficult to overcome.