Sqn Ldr killed as chopper crashes during aerobatics

An indigenously built Advanced Light Helicopter went down this morning at the air force base at Yelahanka outside Bangalore...

An indigenously built Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH Dhruv) went down this morning at the air force base at Yelahanka outside Bangalore, killing its co-pilot Sqn Ldr Priye Sharma (32) and injuring pilot Wg Cdr Vikas Jaitley (39). This is probably the first crash involving a professional chopper aerobatics display team.

The helicopter, part of IAF’s Sarang helicopter display team, was practising for the Aero India defence fair begining next week at the base. This is the third accident of the Dhruv helicopter since November 2004 and the first one in which a pilot has been killed.

Sqn Ldr Sharma, a native of Patna, joined the Sarang team in September 2005, and Wg Cdr Jaitley—who is currently stable and under observation at the Command Hospital in Bangalore—has been with the team since January 2004. The helicopter crashed at 9.45 am after a hard left turn at an altitude of 80-100 meters in preparation for a “cross-over” manoeuver, one of the most popular elements of the team’s aerobatics set.

Story continues below this ad

A technical team has recovered the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which were inspected at 8 pm today by HAL chairman Ashok Baweja, who, prior to his appointment as chairman in 2004, was Director Design & Development at HAL involved with the Dhruv programme. Baweja told The Indian Express from Bangalore, “We have to wait for the results of the Court of Inquiry and see what we can learn from the FDR.”

The Sarang team happens to be one of only three professional helicopter aerobatics teams in the world today—the other two are the Blue Eagles of the British Army Air Corps, the oldest helicopter team, and the Royal Navy Black Cats.

Former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy, under whom the Sarang aerobatics team was created in October 2003, said: “We need to know what went wrong, get wise and move on. Aerobatic flying is risky. There are a lot of precise things one has to do. Worldwide there have been incidents with aerobatics teams. It was shocking and sad, but there’s nothing to stop at that.”

The Sarang team comprises of six ALHs, of which four participate in performances. The team comprising eight pilots and over 18 ground staff has become a key attraction at events in

India and abroad ever since its formation.

Story continues below this ad

The Sarang team is also scheduled to put on shows in 19 locations until October as part of the IAF’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.