By Staff Correspondent
On Thursday, an Indian Army helicopter made a precautionary landing on the banks of the Marua River in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in three personnel being injured, including the two pilots on board. The Udhampur-based Northern Command revealed in a statement that the Army Aviation ALH Dhruv helicopter was engaged in an operational sortie when it crashed at approximately 11.15 am.
According to the statement, the pilots informed the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) of a technical fault and proceeded for a precautionary landing. The helicopter made a hard landing due to undulating ground, undergrowth, and an unprepared landing area. Immediate rescue operations were launched, and the three injured personnel were rushed to Command Hospital, Udhampur. A Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been initiated, the Army said.
This incident follows the tragic death of two pilots in March 2022, after an Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter crashed while flying an operational sortie near Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh. According to the Central Government, 42 Indian armed forces personnel were killed in the last five years in 45 aircraft and helicopter crashes, as disclosed to Parliament in March 2022.
