Tragic helicopter crash near Pune kills two former IAF pilots and a former naval engineer – India News

A tragic helicopter crash near Pune city early Wednesday morning killed three senior aviation professionals, including two former Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and a retired naval engineer, PTI reported. The incident involved an Agusta 109 helicopter belonging to Heritage Aviation, a private aviation company based in Delhi.

The victims are pilot Paramjeet Singh (62) and co-pilot GK Pillai (57), both former IAF personnel, and aircraft maintenance engineer Pritam Kumar Bhardwaj (53), a former Indian Navy officer. According to authorities, the helicopter caught fire after it crashed in hilly terrain near Bavdhan, about 25 km from Pune.

The helicopter was hired by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for transport. Maharashtra NCP chief and MP Sunil Tatkare confirmed that he had flown in the same helicopter just a day before the accident. “I am deeply saddened by the incident. I was supposed to fly it today,” Tatkare told PTI.

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The helicopter took off from the Oxford County Golf Course helipad at 7:30 a.m. and was en route to Juhu in Mumbai when it crashed just ten minutes later at 7:40 a.m. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash and is expecting a preliminary report soon.

Although fog is suspected to have contributed to the accident, Pimpri Chinchwad joint police commissioner Shashikant Mahavarkar said further investigation was required to ascertain the exact cause. Fire engines and water tankers were immediately deployed to the scene to bring the fire caused by the accident under control.

This is the second helicopter crash in the Pune area in a matter of weeks after a private helicopter flying from Mumbai to Hyderabad crashed in the Paud area on August 24. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this case.

An Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) team was dispatched to the crash site to collect evidence for the ongoing investigation.

Authorities and aviation experts await the results of the investigation as the country mourns the loss of three highly qualified professionals.

(With inputs from Reuters)