Black Hawk makes "hard landing" in Iraq-US military

BAGHDAD, Feb 21 (Reuters) A US Black Hawk helicopter with nine people on board made a ''hard landing'' north of Baghdad, the US military said today, citing initial reports.

It was unclear why the helicopter made such a landing, but Iraqi police captain Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said he saw some type of projectile hitting the aircraft before it came down today in a rural area known as the Line, 30 kilometres north of Baghdad.

''I saw a ball of fire hitting the aircraft and smoke coming out of the helicopter as it came down,'' Mashhadani told Reuters.

US military spokesman Major-General William Caldwell said another helicopter had picked up those on board.

Insurgents have shot down seven helicopters in Iraq since January 20, killing 28 people, mainly American soldiers. Five of those helicopters were US military aircraft and two belonged to a private American security company.

The high number lost has raised questions about whether insurgents are using new tactics, such as studying aircraft flight patterns, or have acquired sophisticated weaponry.

US commanders have said one reason they believe insurgents had focused on helicopters was to try to undermine a new security crackdown in Baghdad that formally began last week.

REUTERS PDM HS1918