Arunachal chopper crash: Army orders probe into cause of accident
Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), March 16: Indian Army on Thursday ordered an inquiry after a Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Mandala hills area in Arunachal Pradesh leaving both pilot and co-pilot dead.
Following the crash, the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and police conducted a search operation.
Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Defence Guwahati, stated that an Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ARC) around 9:15 a.m. on March 16.
"Five search parties of the Indian Army, SSB and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were immediately launched. The wreckage of the aircraft was found near Banglajaap village East of Mandala. With regret, we inform that the pilot and the co-pilot of the helicopter lost their lives in the accident," the Defence PRO stated.
"A Court of Inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," he further said.
"General Manoj Pande Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and All Ranks of Indian Army salute the supreme sacrifice of Lt Col VVB Reddy and Maj Jayanth A, in the line of duty at Arunachal Pradesh and express deepest condolences to the bereaved families," Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Indian Army, said on Twitter.
- With inputs from agencies
