Heartbreaking Loss: Army Helicopter Crash Claims Lives Of Two Pilots In Arunachal Pradesh

Heartbreaking Loss: Army Helicopter Crash Claims Lives of Two Pilots in Arunachal Pradesh

An Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh crashed.
“A Court of Inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident,” said Defence PRO.
The deceased officers have been identified as Lt Colonel VVB Reddy and his co-pilot Major Jayanth A.

A Cheetah helicopter of the Army crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday (March 16), resulting in the deaths of two pilots, according to a statement made by a defence spokesperson. The spokesperson identified the deceased officers as Lt Colonel VVB Reddy and his co-pilot Major Jayanth A.

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The helicopter was on an operational sortie from Missamari in Assam’s Sonitpur district to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, stated Defence spokesperson Lt Colonel Mahendra Rawat in Guwahati. The helicopter encountered unfavorable weather conditions and was returning to Missamari when it crashed, he added.

The helicopter lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) around 9.15 am. Lt Colonel Rawat said that five search parties of the Indian Army, SSB, and ITBP were launched immediately. The wreckage of the aircraft was located near the Banglajaap east village of Mandala, he said.

A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident, Lt Colonel Rawat added.

Rohit Rajbir Singh, the superintendent of police, Special Investigation Cell (SIC), stated that villagers discovered the crashed chopper ablaze in Dirang and reported it to district officials. “Villagers from Bangjalep at Dirang located the chopper around 12.30 pm,” Singh said. The area has no mobile connectivity, and the weather conditions were extremely foggy with visibility as low as five meters, he added.

On another note, an IAF helicopter with 20 people on board made an emergency landing in Jodhpur’s Lohawat area on March 12 due to a technical glitch. The helicopter had taken off from the Phalodi airbase in Jodhpur and was allowed to take off again an hour later after a technical team fixed the problem.

FAQ

01. What happened to the Cheetah helicopter of the Army?

The Cheetah helicopter of the Army crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday morning, resulting in the deaths of two pilots.

02. Who were the deceased officers in the helicopter crash?

The deceased officers have been identified as Lt Colonel VVB Reddy and his co-pilot Major Jayanth A.

03. What was the helicopter doing before it crashed?

The helicopter was on an operational sortie from Missamari in Assam’s Sonitpur district to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

04. What caused the helicopter to crash?

The helicopter encountered unfavorable weather conditions, according to the Defence spokesperson Lt Colonel Mahendra Rawat.

05. Was any investigation ordered after the helicopter crash?

Yes, a Court of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

06. When was the helicopter found?

The wreckage of the helicopter was found near the Banglajaap east village of Mandala, according to Lt Colonel Rawat. The helicopter lost contact with Air Traffic Control (ATC) around 9.15 am, and the villagers found the chopper around 12.30 pm.