Agencies
SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 11
Two pilots have died after a Dhruv chopper of the Indian Army crashed in Bandipore in North Kashmir this evening.
The Advanced Light Helicopter, which was on a night training sortie, crashed around 7:45 pm at Safapora Heights near Kurshu Forest. The chopper, a part of the of Army’s aviation squadron based at Manasbal, had taken off at around 7 pm. The Army has ordered a Court of Inquiry into the incident.
Search and rescue mission revealed that two officers, both pilots, died in the crash.
The indigenously-built Advanced Light Helicopter – Dhruv – is a twin engine aircraft which weighs about five tons and is manufactured by Government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Between the three forces – Army, Navy and Air Force, there are over 130 Dhruv’s in active service.
The aircraft was inducted into service in the early 2000s but complaints have persisted. This is the seventh fatal crash since 2005. Ecuador too had imported a few of these machines but has subsequently grounded them following crashes.
