Helicopter crashes into sea off UAE coast, search for crew underway

A helicopter flies overhead on the first day of the SailGP Grand Prix Dubai competition, in the Gulf emirate, on November 12, 2022. (Photo courtesy: AFP/File)

• AeroGulf helicopter crashed after taking off from Al Maktoum International Airport for a night training session
• One of the pilots of the Bell 212 helicopter is Egyptian and the other is South African, the aviation regulator said

DUBAI: An AeroGulf helicopter crashed into the sea off UAE’s coast on Thursday evening, with a search underway for its crew of two pilots, Emirates news agency (WAM) reported on Friday.

In a statement, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said the helicopter had taken off from Al Maktoum International Airport for a night training exercise.

The pilots of the Bell 212 helicopter missing are of Egyptian and South African nationalities, the aviation regulator said.
“The search and rescue teams have recovered the wreckage,” the authority said, noting that the air accident investigation team has moved to the site in search for the missing pilots.

Arab News called the authority for further information, but no one was immediately available for a comment.