Helicopter Disaster

by tristero

One of far too many, recently:

Seven people were killed today when a Marine transport helicopter crashed into an insurgent-heavy region northwest of Baghdad. It was the fifth American helicopter to crash or be shot down since mid-January, and military officials are growing increasingly concerned that Iraqi insurgents are successfully adapting their tactics to be more effective against American aircraft.

Some Iraqis who saw the helicopter crash said it appeared to have been shot down. But according to news-agency reports, military officials suggested that the crash was probably caused by a mechanical failure.

Of course, because speaking very strictly, you can’t have any kind of a helicopter crash without experiencing mechanical failure.

But what, I wonder, caused the “mechanical failure?” An attack by insurgents, perhaps?