[1]In the country’s first military air crash of the year, two Army officers were killed when the helicopter they were flying, crashed into a residential area in Nashik minutes after take off on Wednesday morning.
While no civilian casualty or major damage to property was reported in the incident, the crash claimed lives of Major Atul Garge and Major P. Bhanu Chander of the Army aviation base in Jodhpur.
The Cheetah helicopter had taken off at around 8.55 am from the Gandhinagar air base in Nashik on Wednesday. Just minutes later, it crashed into an open plot between two bungalows at Jachak Mala area on Jai Bhavani Road. The area mostly comprises private bungalows. “Just after take off, the chopper crashed within the local flying area,” defence ministry spokesperson Captain Manohar Nambiar told this newspaper.
Preliminary investigations point that the pilots steered the helicopter in order to avoid crashing into a densely populated area.
“The pilots tried to avoid casualties on the ground, but could not save themselves. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained and an inquiry in this regard is underway,” added Mr Nambiar. Defence officials from the nearby Deolali Army camp, the police and the fire brigade officials rushed to the crash site immediately.
Forensic experts from the Army base also reached the spot in order to gather the remains of the copter and conduct a probe into the incident. The defence and the police have barricaded the entire accident site.
Fire brigade personnel utilised hydraulic equipment to cut the mangled copter in order to avoid sparks, as the fuel tank was full. “The crash took place within a distance of a kilometre from the Gandhinagar air base from where they had taken off. Eyewitnesses told us that the tail of the helicopter brushed against the wall of the terrace of a bungalow and then crashed into an open plot. The pilots were dead when we retrieved them from the chopper,” said A.C. Mahajan, chief fire officer, Nashik.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/indjpg-374-0