Helicopter makes emergency landing on water in UAE

A helicopter operated by Abu Dhabi Aviation Company made an emergency landing off Mubarraz Island in Abu Dhabi, on April 29, 2017.

The helicopter, an AgustaWestland, was on a flight to transport some oil field workers and took off from Abu Dhabi International airport at 12.05pm with two crew and five passengers.

The chopper completed the first part of the flight at 12.31pm on an oil platform, where four passengers landed.

When they took off again to complete the second part of the flight, a warning message of damage appeared on the cockpit screens, following which the pilot decided to land at the nearest available spot, which was about seven minutes away. During the gradual descent, the aircraft was unable to continue its flight due to the deteriorating engine, and the captain decided to land on the water and launched the mayday call.

The crew and passengers were able to get out of the helicopter in the lifeboat without injuries. They were rescued by the UAE Coast Guard.

Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, said: "Air incidents require an immediate investigation. Our priority now is to support the investigation into the underlying causes of this unfortunate incident which, thankfully, has not resulted in injuries to passengers or crew."

"We are working closely with the aircraft manufacturer and the authorities concerned to determine the cause of the crash and ensure that it is not repeated in the future," Eng. Ismail Mohammed Al Hosani, Assistant Director General of Air Accident Investigation Division, said.