One pilot was killed and another wounded after an Army 500MD combat helicopter made an emergency landing for an unverified reason in a mountain in Gangwon Province on Wednesday.

The accident occurred at around 2:40 p.m. in Wonju of the province when the helicopter of the Army’s aerial operations command participated in the annual Hoguk Exercise.

The 45-year-old warrant officer, the main pilot, lost consciousness as the helicopter struck the mountain during the landing process. He was immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital, but died while being treated, officials said.

The 41-year-old major, the secondary pilot, suffered injuries to his leg, but his condition is not critical. The Army is investigating the exact cause of the accident, officials said. The Army has run around 250 500MD helicopters since the late 1980s.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)