GENEVA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland's defense ministry said Wednesday that a Swiss army helicopter, which had crashed around midday in the Gotthard region of the Swiss Alps, had killed two pilots and injured a flight assistant.
The head of the Swiss Air Force, Aldo Schellenberg, told a press conference held in the Swiss capital city of Bern that the incident occurred when a Super Puma helicopter crashed onto the Gotthard pass road in central Switzerland.
The official said the helicopter crashed shortly after taking off close to a hotel, where it had flown a delegation of four French army officers and Swiss officials to the area.
An investigation into the cause of the crash is still underway, the Swiss air force chief said.
The incident comes just weeks after the crash of a Swiss air force F-A 18 fighter jet in the Swiss Alps that resulted in the death of its 27-year-old pilot.
Local media reported that over the past 20 years, there have been 12 accidents involving Swiss air force jets or helicopters, which have killed 21 people.
