Chopper pilot dies after crash

PARIS: A French military helicopter crashed in Ivory Coast while on a training mission, killing the pilot and seriously injuring a second crew member, the French army said in a statement yesterday.

The Gazelle helicopter came down about 20km east of the Ivorian commercial capital, Abidjan.

“The cause of the accident is still to be determined,” the French army said.

Both helicopter crew members were transferred to a French military base at Port Bouet, where the pilot died. The other crewman was being airlifted to France for treatment. – Reuters