Saudi Arabia Middle East Helicopter Aviation Safety & Regulation

Saudi Aramco AW139 helicopter crash near Ras Tanura kills 14; Leonardo aircraft return-to-airport incident under investigation

A Leonardo Helicopters AW139 operating for Saudi Aramco crashed near Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, killing 14 people on board, according to local authorities and state media. The helicopter came down while returning to Ras Tanura airport; an investigation is under way to determine the cause.

Discovered 2026-06-28T23:11:32.093856-07:00 | 2026-06-28T23:11:32.093856-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

The fatal loss of an AW139 operated by Saudi Aramco expands the safety and incident-investigation record for the type and operator, with findings likely to inform operator risk controls and maintenance/operations practices.
The aircraft reportedly crashed during a return-to-airport phase, which makes the event operationally relevant for helicopter approach, airfield operations, and procedure review in similar Gulf basin environments.
This follows the prior cluster on the Saudi Aramco AW139 crash near Ras Tanura, tightening focus on the investigation’s next evidence points and timeline.

Reported By

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