Pilot killed as Indian Army Helicopter crashes near Line of Control in Kashmir

New Delhi: An Army pilot was killed while his co-pilot was critically injured after their Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Line of Control at the Gurez area of Bandipora district in North Kashmir.

The official said the Army chopper crashed in the Gujran Nallah area in the Gurez Valley, following which a rescue operation was launched immediately.

The helicopter was on its way to evacuate unwell BSF personnel and take them to hospital for treatment when it crashed in Tulial area of Gurez sector.

The cause of the crash was not known immediately. However, reports suggest that the helicopter was about to land but drifted away because of the weather conditions.

The Army Aviation and the Air Force have a fleet of 200 Cheetah helicopters which is a single-engine helicopter and considered as a lifeline for High Altitude Operations. However, the chopper does not have key features like moving map display, ground proximity warning system and weather radar. It also lacks an autopilot system, which can be disastrous in case a pilot is disoriented in bad weather. There have been more than 30 crashes in the last few years, killing over 40 personnel.

(Defence Watch– India's Defence Business News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)