In a tragic incident three Army officers, including two pilots, died in a chopper crash on Wednesday, while the fourth passenger sustained severe injuries when the Army’s Cheetah helicopter in which they were flying crash-landed at Sukna cantonment area in Darjeeling district in North Bengal.
The lone survivor is currently fighting for his life, sources said. The deceased included one lieutenant-Colonel and two Majors, while a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was seriously injured. The mishap occurred a little past 10.30 am when the helicopter was barely 50 metres away from the Sukna helipad. The crash site is about 16 km from the State’s fourth-largest city Siliguri.
The helicopter, belonging to the Army Aviation Corps, was returning after carrying out a sortie in the high altitudes of North Sikkim sources said. Another Cheetah chopper carrying senior Army officers that was accompanying the ill-fated helicopter landed safely moments before the mishap. A court of inquiry was ordered into the accident at Sukna which houses 33 Corps of the Indian Army.
Though this was said to be the first helicopter crash in North Bengal, the region has in the past witnessed a number of crashes involving fighter aircraft.
According to sources, a MIG-27 had crashed in Jalpaiguri district in July 2010. In the same year a MIG-21 had crashed near Bagdogra Airbase and another MIG-27 had crashed at Hasimara Airbase in February 2010.
The Army and IAF have a fleet of 250 Cheetah and Chetak single-engine light utility helicopters and the majority are nearing the end of their operational life. The helicopters were inducted into service nearly 40 years ago and need urgent replacement. These helicopters can fly at higher altitudes like Siachen and the North-East and are the lifeline of troops stationed in remote mountainous terrains cross the country.
The NDA Government had given the go-ahead for replacing 200 helicopters by Kamov helicopters in December last year. The deal, worth over $1 billion, comprises manufacturing of these helicopters with Russian collaboration in India by Hindustan Aeronautics limited (HAl). However, the project under ‘Make in India’ category is yet to take off.
The acquisition of light utility helicopters is jinxed as two previous attempts to acquire them were marred by wrongdoing and corruption twice during the UPA regime and tenders had to be cancelled.
The Navy also urgently needs 200 such helicopters and once the Kamov project proves to be a success, the service may also opt for them.