BERLIN, July 2 — A German armed forces helicopter crashed in northern Germany yesterday, killing one pilot and injuring another, Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said.

The pilot who survived the crash of the Eurocopter EC135 was being treated in hospital, von der Leyen told reporters.

"The cause of the crash is so far completely unclear,” von der Leyen said, adding that the military would investigate the incident thoroughly. "This is a tragic moment for us.”

Both pilots had undergone comprehensive training to fly the EC135 and had each completed 450 flight hours and were training as flight instructors, she said.

The incident comes a week after one pilot was killed when two unarmed German Eurofighter jets collided over northeastern Germany. — Reuters