Coast Guard helicopter crashes soon after takeoff, affected CIAL airport operations resume after two hours

Kochi: 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. Sources said the chopper, which was on a training flight, crashed as it began taking off from the helipad at 12.55 pm. As per preliminary reports, one person has a minor injury in his hand, sources told PTI. Meanwhile, CIAL said airport operations were suspended for two hours after the Advanced Light Helicopter of the Coast Guard met with the accident. “The ALH was removed from the operational area around 2 PM and the runway has been cleared substantially after safety inspections, and flight operations have been resumed,” CIAL said in a statement. The Coast Guard Enclave is inside the CIAL complex. The reason for the accident is yet to be ascertained.