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Passenger dies in helicopter crash on Swiss glacier

Helicopter crashes on the Oberaletsch Glacier VS
Helicopter crashes on the Oberaletsch Glacier VS Keystone-SDA

A helicopter crashed in the Fusshörner region on the Oberaletsch Glacier in canton Valais on Saturday afternoon. The passenger in the helicopter, which was carrying three people, died. The pilot and flight assistant were slightly injured.

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The helicopter was being used for agricultural transport at the Fusshörner on the Oberaletsch Glacier above Naters, cantonal police reported in the evening. For unknown reasons, the helicopter hit the ground and came to a standstill lying on its side, according to the cantonal police.

The 51-year-old passenger from Switzerland was killed. The pilot and the flight assistant were not seriously injured and received medical treatment. The helicopter belonged to the Valais airline Air-Glaciers. As the company announced in the evening, the helicopter tipped onto its side while hovering. Air-Glaciers said it was deeply saddened by the death of the passenger.

+ Swiss aviation’s worst air disaster remembered 25 years on

The cantonal police, the Valais rescue organisation, four helicopters, a rescue specialist and the Naters fire brigade were at the scene. The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board initiated an investigation. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is responsible for the criminal investigation in collaboration with the Valais cantonal police.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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