Netherlands Ministry of Defence, July 20, 2020 - In a crash with an NH90 maritime helicopter, 2 of the 4 crew members died.
These are 34-year-old aviator Christine Martens and 33-year-old tactical coordinator Erwin Warnies. Both have the rank of lieutenant 2nd class. The helicopter hit the water in the Caribbean Sea near Aruba at the end of a coastguard patrol on Sunday.
Commander of the Armed Forces Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer announced this during a press conference in The Hague. The families of the killed sailors had already been informed by Defense at that time.
The 2 other crew members have no serious physical injuries.
The NH90 was part of the patrol vessel Zr.Ms. Groningen. A Coast Guard Helicopter and Defense Dive Team Support Zr.Ms. Groningen to secure the NH90. The flight recorder (black box) in particular has priority.
It is expected that the Defense Security Inspectorate will conduct an investigation.
As a precaution, the NH90 fleet will remain on the ground for the time being announced the Minister of Defense Ank Bijleveld-Schouten.
The armed forces have 20 NH90 helicopters. It is the first time that an accident has happened with this type of aircraft in Dutch service.
These are 34-year-old aviator Christine Martens and 33-year-old tactical coordinator Erwin Warnies. Both have the rank of lieutenant 2nd class. The helicopter hit the water in the Caribbean Sea near Aruba at the end of a coastguard patrol on Sunday.
Commander of the Armed Forces Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer announced this during a press conference in The Hague. The families of the killed sailors had already been informed by Defense at that time.
The 2 other crew members have no serious physical injuries.
The NH90 was part of the patrol vessel Zr.Ms. Groningen. A Coast Guard Helicopter and Defense Dive Team Support Zr.Ms. Groningen to secure the NH90. The flight recorder (black box) in particular has priority.
It is expected that the Defense Security Inspectorate will conduct an investigation.
As a precaution, the NH90 fleet will remain on the ground for the time being announced the Minister of Defense Ank Bijleveld-Schouten.
The armed forces have 20 NH90 helicopters. It is the first time that an accident has happened with this type of aircraft in Dutch service.
Crashed NH90 helicopter found
Netherlands Ministry of Defence - August 10, 2020 - The NH90 maritime attack helicopter that disappeared into the sea in the Caribbean on July 19 was found yesterday. In the crash, 2 crew members were killed.
A public-private partnership, the Maritime Capacity Alliance , mapped out the position of the aircraft. The aircraft appears to be divided into 2 parts. 1 piece is located at the spot where the plane crashed into the sea, about 12 kilometers off the coast of Aruba. The other part has been found about 100 kilometers away.
Defense has investigated whether the remains can be recovered.
NH90 NFH N-324 ( Marine Luchtvaartdienst )
Reina Beatrix International Airport Comments | Join community |
| Very sad news. Condolences to their families and colleagues. |
| Sad to hear. Professional airperonal lost in the line of duty. |
| Shocked to hear this sad news. Started my military flying career together with Christine and had the privilege of working 5 years together with her in SAR. She loved aviation, in her teenage years she became a glider-pilot and collected several prices during glider competitions. In her military career she graduated as distinguished honor graduate 👩🎓at US Army flight school FT.Rucker where she flew the OH-58 and UH-60 Blackhawks. She was one the best pilots I’ve ever seen. I’m gonna miss you buddy 😞. Rest In Peace to you and Erwin. Fair Winds and Following Seas. |
| Sterkte man, ik heb jullie op zien komen en samen naar 303 van 7 gekomen. Onwerkelijk |
| May they rest in peace 😢 |
| Deepest condolences. RIP. |
See also |
NH90 NFH in
Marine Luchtvaartdienst vsq 860 Marine Luchtvaartdienst Royal Netherlands Navy Helicopters Accident Reports Zr. Ms. Groningen ( P843, Holland class (OPV) ) 
