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Indian Army's Cheetah helicopter crashes in Bhutan, two pilots killed

The Indian pilot was identified as Lieutenant Colonel Rajneesh Parmar.

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Cheetahs are 1960 vintage planes which have been in the Indian Army for the last over 40 years
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Two pilots including an Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel were killed after a helicopter crash in Bhutan on Thursday. 

The single-engine Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army was going to Yongfulla in Butan from Arunachal Pradesh's Khirmu when it crashed.

While one pilot was identified as Lieutenant Colonel Rajneesh Parmar, the other person was Royal Bhutan Army's Captain Kalzang Wangdi. The Bhutanese Army personnel was training with the Indian Army's Cheetah helicopter when it crashed around 1 pm. 

The chopper belonged to Indian Army's 667 Army Aviation Squadron based in Misamari in Assam. The chopper was returning after dropping an Indian Army Major General posted with Indian Army Military Training Team deployed in Bhutan.

As a part of the arrangement between India and Bhutan, Bhutanese pilots have been training with the Indian Army since 2014-15.

Cheetahs are 1960 vintage planes which have been in the Indian Army for the last over 40 years and several attempts to replace them have failed due to one reason or the other.

"In an unfortunate incident, an Indian Army Helicopter has crashed at 1 pm near Yongphulla in Bhutan. The helicopter went out of radio and visual contact soon after 1 pm. The helicopter was on way from Khirmu (Arunanchal) to Yongphulla on duty," said Army Spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand.

"Ground search and rescue were launched immediately from Yongphulla. The wreckage has been located," he said.

(With ANI inputs) 

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