An Israeli military helicopter crashed late on Monday, killing the pilot, a military spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

The co-pilot was seriously injured in the incident that saw an Apache attack helicopter crash on landing at the Ramon air force base, she added.

“A military helicopter crashed at an Israeli Air Force (IAF) base in southern Israel,” she told AFP.

The military identified the pilot killed as Maj. David Zohar, a 43-year-old reserve pilot.

The IAF has launched a technical investigation into the incident and ordered all combat helicopters be grounded pending the outcome of the probe, the spokeswoman said.

According to Israeli media reports, the Apaches were previously grounded after a large crack was discovered in the rotor blade of one. They began flying again last month.

The media reports said that Monday’s crash occurred at the end of a training flight which was part of a program to gradually return the Apaches to service. The pilot reported a malfunction before losing control.