Herzog's helicopter makes emergency landing after bird strike

An IDF helicopter carrying President Isaac Herzog made an emergency landing today, Thursday, at an air force base in central Israel after a bird strike during a routine flight. The incident was described as rare and as a reminder of Israel's aviation safety challenges.

According to the IDF spokesperson, the bird strike occurred earlier in the day while the aircraft was flying as scheduled with the president on board. The crew decided to divert to the nearest air force base in line with strict safety procedures.

There were no injuries and no damage reported. As part of standard procedure, Herzog and the flight crew were transferred to another IDF helicopter and continued on to their planned destination.

The damaged helicopter was handed over to air force technical teams for repairs and checks so it can return to service as soon as possible. The air force said its procedures worked as intended, and the event ended without casualties. The incident is now under a broad air force investigation to determine the circumstances of the strike, review whether the procedures were followed properly, and inspect the aircraft before it returns to full operational use.