Army helicopter crashes in J&K's Kishtwar, technician dead, 2 pilots injured Kishtwar (Jammu and Kashmir): An Army technician died while two pilots were injured after an Indian army helicopter crashed in the Magawah area of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The mishap was the fourth chopper crash in the country in the last seven months. An army spokesman of the Northern Command said that at about 1115 hours, an Army Aviation ALH Dhruv helicopter on an operational mission made a “precautionary landing” on the banks of Marua river in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir.
The spokesman said that the pilots reported a technical fault to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and proceeded for a precautionary landing. “Due to the undulating ground, undergrowth and unprepared landing area, the helicopter apparently made a hard landing,” said the Northern Command spokesman. Following the mishap, rescue operations were launched even as an Army rescue teams reached the site.
According to the Army spokesman, two pilots and a technician were on board and were injured in the mishp. All three injured personnel have been evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur for treatment. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered while further details are being ascertained, the Army spokesman added.
Also read:Two pilots die after Army chopper crashes in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh
Sources said that the technician injured in the mishap succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Army hospital Udhampur. This is the fourth helicopter crash in just seven months. The previous incidents occurred in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Siang district, and Tawang in the same state.
These crashes have raised concerns about the safety and maintenance of Indian army helicopters. In March this year, an Indian Army Cheetah crashed in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, killing two pilots. The chopper lost contact with Mandela near Bomdila shortly after taking off from the Sange army camp in Sela Pass, West Kameng district, for a daily flight to Tezpur.
The incident was the third crash in six months in the state. Last October, a military chopper crashed in a village in the Upper Siang district, resulting in search and rescue operations being initiated, and teams being sent to the crash site. Four persons were killed in the crash. In the same month, another Indian Army Cheetah helicopter crashed near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, killing two pilots on board.
The incident happened during a routine sortie in a forward area of the district close to the China border. The repeated helicopter crashes have raised concerns about the safety protocols and maintenance of Indian army helicopters. While the Indian army has not commented on the reasons for these crashes, some analysts have suggested that the harsh terrain and weather conditions in the region, coupled with inadequate training and lack of maintenance, could be contributing factors.
The Indian army has a large fleet of helicopters, which are used for various purposes, including search and rescue operations, transportation of troops and supplies, and providing air support during military operations. The repeated crashes have raised questions about the safety of these helicopters and the preparedness of the Indian army to deal with such incidents.
