JAKARTA, Nov 18 (AFP) - A helicopter belonging to Indonesia's search and rescue organisation crash-landed into the sea Wednesday, injuring five people, an official said.

The helicopter crashed off the Central Java city of Semarang at around 10:15 am (0315 GMT), local search and rescue official Ahmad Said told AFP.

"The helicopter was on a training mission when engine trouble occurred and it crash-landed into the sea," Said said.

He said that pilot, co-pilot and three instructors suffered minor injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital.

Indonesia, an archipelago nation of over 17,000 islands, is heavily dependent on air links but local aviation has been marred by a dire safety record and a string of deadly accidents in past years.