One person was injured when a Coast Guard helicopter crashed on Sunday just after takeoff from its enclave at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) here, but the “presence of mind” of the pilot saved the lives of three persons onboard, a release said.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said the ALH Mk III chopper CG 855, based in Kochi, took off from the enclave located inside CIAL complex at about 12.25 pm for “inflight checks after fitment of control rods” on the aircraft.
It said the chopper lost control when it was about 30-40 ft above the ground. However, the pilot showed “exemplary professionalism and presence of mind” with bare minimum controls and manoeuvred the aircraft
