Guwahati/New Delhi, November 19
Twelve persons, including a Lieutenant Colonel and 11 Indian Air Force men,were killed today when an Mi-17 helicopter crashed after an explosion on board at Bomdir near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Tezpur-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the explosion on board the chopper occurred minutes after its take-off from the Tawang helipad at around 12 noon. The helicopter was en route to Guwahati. Among the 11 dead IAF personnel include three officers.
The official said a search operation was launched by Army personnel at Tawang base immediately after the crash and all 12 bodies were recovered within three hours. Eyewitnesses heard a loud sound in the sky and saw the chopper catching fire. Senior Army and Air Force officials rushed to Tawang after the incident. Prima facie the problem has been identified with the rotors of the chopper. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu condoled the death of defence personnel in the tragic incident.
This is the second crash of a MI-17 --- a Russian-origin chopper that is considered a workhorse in the Himalayas --- since October last year when four persons were killed when a copter plunged into Chenab river in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The IAF operates around 80 MI-17 choppers and another 60 of the upgraded version known as MI-17-IV. Around 80 more have been ordered from Russia.
The helipad at Tawang is at 9,000 feet and the MI-17 lands and takes off with ease from Thoise and Leh in J&K that are much higher in altitude, said sources. Also, the take-off load of 12 persons on board was within the laid down parameters, said sources, who said that an MI-17 can take upto 24-28 passengers when taking off from the plains. Official source said the weather in Tawang was okay and it was unlikely that the ill-fated chopper could have encountered any obstruction.
At Tawang, the military helipad does not have an air traffic controller.
