A Major-General and two pilots of the Indian Army had a miraculous escape after a light helicopter, part of the ageing Cheetah fleet, crashed in the strategically sensitive Tangste region in Ladakh near Leh.
The chopper — carrying a Major, a Major-General and a Lieutenant Colonel — crashed on May 20 during an afternoon sortie, army sources confirmed on Saturday. The crash has again highlighted the risks associated with India’s ageing fleet, which has been involved in several fatal accidents.
A selfie of Major-General Sachin Mehta, general officer commanding of the 3rd Infantry Division, with the two other officers after the crash went viral on social media. The picture showed them sitting on rocks beside the damaged helicopter.
Sources said the Lieutenant Colonel and the Major were piloting the single-engine chopper, while Major-General Mehta was on board as a passenger.
The army has ordered a court of inquiry into the mishap. “The survival of the three officers was nothing short of a miracle considering the challenging mountainous region. All three sustained injuries, but are safe and stable. The two pilots were admitted to hospital with minor injuries,” an army official said.
Sources said the helicopter involved in the crash was a Cheetal variant, an upgraded version of the Cheetah fitted with a more powerful TM333B engine for high-altitude operations. The armed forces have been trying to replace the vintage fleet with the indigenously developed light utility helicopters (LUH) built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.