October 6, 2017
The crash site is at Yangchi, 130 km from Tawang town close to the border with China.
Reported by Vishnu Som, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh
Seven military personnel were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter crashed near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh this morning.
The Mi-17 V5 chopper was on an “air maintenance mission” at an altitude of 17,000 feet when it crashed around 6 am, according to the Air Force. The bodies of seven, including the pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and two army officers, have been found.
The crash site is at Yangchi, 130 km from Tawang town close to the border with China.
A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to establish what caused the crash. Sources say senior pilots were flying the chopper – one was a wing commander and the other, a squadron leader.
The Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper is the backbone of the Air Force.
Over 150 such helicopters are in service and 48 more have been requisitioned. The Mi-17 can carry a substantial payload to higher altitudes and has a very powerful engine.