New Delhi: Army’s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv seconds before it crashed A jawan aboard a chopper was killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday and the pilots of the chopper sent a message to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) about a technical glitch.
The accident happened days after the ALH fleet was cleared to fly again after a series of crashes involving Dhruv helicopters being used by the Navy and Coast Guard since March this year.
Sources in the defense and security establishment told ThePrint that the pilot had sent a message to ATC about a technical snag and was going to make an emergency landing.
However, in what looked like a loss of foliage and power, the helicopter made what is officially known as a ‘crash landing’, On the banks of Marua river.
“As per inputs, the pilots had reported a technical snag to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and proceeded for a precautionary landing. Due to rough ground, undergrowth and unprepared landing area, the helicopter apparently made a hard landing,” said a statement issued by the Army’s Northern Command on Thursday.
The sources said the past few accidents involving ALH Dhruv helicopters certainly pointed to technical or manufacturing defects.
in 2019The ALH of then Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh had crashed while taking off from Udhampur to Poonch.
The findings of the court of inquiry into the accident involving Lt Gen Singh are yet to be made public, sources in the defense establishment had said. Said ThePrint First The accident happened after the “collective” – which controls power to the rotors and back – broke. Sources said that it was a manufacturing defect.
Sources also attributed the tragic accident in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district in October last year to this particular fault. Five army soldiers died in the accident.
Incidentally, after another accident involving an ALH at Kochi in March this year, the Navy issued a statement saying there was a “sudden power failure”.
have been at least 20 Known events associated with ALH over the past two decades (including the latest). The ALH is an essential foundation for the Services – Army, Navy and Air Force.
(Editing by Amritansh Arora)