UAE helicopter crash: Second pilot's body recovered off the coast of Umm Al Quwain
Authorities are piecing together the details surrounding the unfortunate event
Dubai: The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced on Monday (September 11) that the body of the second pilot from the crew of the ill-fated helicopter belonging to the company "Aerogulf" has been found. The helicopter met a tragic fate when it crashed off the coast of Umm Al Quwain during a night training flight on Thursday evening.
Search and rescue teams have been tirelessly working to recover any traces of the missing crew members and the helicopter wreckage. These efforts have led to the retrieval of the first pilot's body and various parts of the crashed aircraft.
The incident has prompted ongoing investigations conducted by the GCAA’s Air Accidents Investigation Department, in collaboration with relevant authorities. Authorities are piecing together the details surrounding the unfortunate event, and any updates on the circumstances of the incident will be promptly shared with the public.
The GCAA has extended its heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of the two pilots affected by this tragedy, urging the public to rely on official sources for information and to be cautious of rumors and misinformation surrounding the incident.
The helicopter belonging to Aerogulf crashed into the sea off the UAE coast on Thursday. The Bell 212 helicopter took off from Al Maktoum Airport in Dubai on a night training mission with two pilots onboard. Search and rescue teams recovered the wreckage and are still searching for the crew.
The Air Accident Investigation Sector at the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said on Friday that the authority received a report of a helicopter crash off the UAE coast on Thursday, September 7 at around 8.30 pm.
The Aerogulf chopper, with registration mark A6-ALD, plunged into the Gulf sea with two pilots of Egyptian and South African nationalities onboard, GCAA said in the official statement.
The company is based at Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum) International Airport and has a fleet of aircraft including a Leonardo AW139, Bell 212 and Bell 206 helicopters.