Indian Army Cheetah Helicopter Crashes in Arunachal Pradesh, Killing Two Pilots

New Delhi (India), March 16, 2023: In a tragic incident, an Indian Army helicopter crashed near Mandala in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday morning, claiming the lives of both the pilot and co-pilot.

Lieutenant Colonel VVB Reddy and Major Jayanth A, the two pilots who were flying the aircraft, were earlier reported missing. The army confirmed that the helicopter lost contact with the air traffic controller at 9:15 a.m.

Immediately, five search parties of the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were launched. The wreckage of the aircraft was eventually found near Village Banglajaap, east of Mandala. In light of this tragic event, a court of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the accident.

As per reports, the chopper had taken off from Sange village in the district at 9 a.m. and was headed towards Missamari in Assam’s Sonitpur district. However, the helicopter went missing en route, leading to an extensive search and rescue operation. Villagers from Bangjalep at Dirang eventually found the chopper around 12:30 pm and immediately notified district officials.