Bhubaneswar, Dec. 11: Sunday didn't turn out to be a happy one for Mishra family in Old Town.

P.K. Mishra, 52, a retired colonel working with the Indian Army, died in a helicopter crash at Goregaon, Mumbai, this afternoon.

Mishra, a staff pilot with the Indian Army before joining Mumbai-based private aviation company, was the pilot of the ill-fated helicopter, which crashed at Goregaon with four people aboard.

Ashish Kumar Mishra, the deceased's younger brother, said they could not believe their ears when they received news of his demise.

"One of his colleagues informed us about his death at 12.30pm. We were shocked to hear the news as he had vast experience as a pilot. He was part of a number of private civil aviation company before joining the Mumbai-based Aman Aviation Pvt. Ltd in 2012," said Ashish.

Mishra, a Berhampur native, had joined the Indian Army in 1984 and was posted in several areas, including Meerut, Allahabad, Jammu and Kashmir and Jalandhar.

"He was took part in the Kargil war in 1999. His job was to transfer dead and injured soldiers in helicopter. He took voluntary retirement in 2008," said Ashish.

The deceased's family members in Old Town said Mishra has two sons. While one is employed with a Mumbai-based multinational company, another is an electrical engineering student in Mumbai.

The helicopter, a Robinson R44 belonging to Aman Aviation Pvt. Ltd, was on a sightseeing mission over Mumbai when it suddenly crashed inside the forested Aarey Milk Colony at Goregaon and erupted into a fireball in the afternoon. Mishra was declared dead at a hospital.

"He recently visited Australia for training and was among the few pilots in the entire country having the skill of landing helicopter with a failed engine," he added.

The family members recalled Mishra's passion of serving the nation during his days with the Indian Army.

"He always used to share his experience of Kargil war saying that that was his lifetime experience. He loved his job," said one of his family members.

Houses gutted

Around 15 houses were gutted in a fire at Badachanchua village in Cuttack district on Sunday. Firetenders rushed to the spot to douse the flames. The cause of the fire is not yet ascertained. Preliminary reports suggest an incense stick could have caused the fire. District administration officials have made arrangements for food for people who lost their homes, said sources.