Seven IAF personnel including two pilots died in a helicopter crash near Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, about 90 km from state capital Lucknow minutes after it took off from Bareilly. According to IAF, the Indian-made Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Air Force reportedly had seven people on board. “The Helicopter was airborne from Bareilly at 1653 hrs and was on a mission to Allahabad. The Pilot gave a ‘may-day’ (emergency) call and soon after that there was a loss of contact on radar and on radio,”IAF said in its official statement. “A total of seven air warriors including two pilots were on board. It is feared that there are no survivors. There is no reported damage on ground,”IAF further said. The court of inquiry has been ordered to establish cause of the accident by the IAF headquarters.
Indian Air Force chopper crashes in UP; 7 IAF personnel dead
Sameer Patil, Associate Fellow, National Security, Gateway House, in an article that appeared on DNA says that the problem of MiG-21 plane crashes has to be addressed and dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible