Indian Army's Cheetah Chopper Crashes, Both Pilots Killed

Two pilots were killed on Friday after a Cheetah helicopter belonging to the Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) crashed in Bhutan.

This accident is the second in the week- on September 25, a MiG-21 fighter jet belonging to the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed while on a routine training mission in the city of Gwalior, located in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The rotorcraft was carrying one pilot each from India and Bhutan. It was en-route from Khirmu (Arunanchal Pradesh, India) to Yongfulla (Bhutan) on duty when it crashed into a hill at around 1 pm, Indian media reported.

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, ET reported.

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

The army operates a mix of about 150 Cheetahs and Chetaks. The Cheetahs play a crucial role in supporting the army on the Siachen glacier, one of the world’s highest battlefields, flying at more than 20,000 feet.

These were to be replaced by new choppers because the design of these helicopters is more than 50 years old. Their airworthiness is being questioned after a string of mishaps. Nine personnel were killed in six accidents involving these machines during 2012-15.