India, New Delhi: Three Indian Army officers survived a Leh helicopter crash after a Cheetah aircraft went down in the mountainous Tangste region of Ladakh, officials said.
Hindustan Times reported that the crash occurred on Wednesday near Leh and was reported on Friday. Officials said all three occupants walked away with minor injuries, and a probe into the cause was underway.
A lieutenant colonel and a major were piloting the single-engine helicopter. Major General Sachin Mehta, General Officer Commanding of 3 Infantry Division, was travelling as a passenger.
Times of India reported that the Army ordered a Court of Inquiry to determine the cause of the crash. The outlet said the incident took place near Tangtse in southeastern Leh.
The incident has renewed attention on the Indian Army’s ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopter fleet. Officials said the Army plans to phase out the helicopters in a year or two and replace them with light utility helicopters over eight to 10 years.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited licence-produced 625 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters for India’s defence services, but no longer builds them. HAL remains responsible for maintenance and repair.
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Officials said the existing fleet remains airworthy and has some remaining technical life. More than 15 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters have crashed in the past 10 to 12 years, killing several pilots.
