Three senior Indian Army officers escaped with injuries after a Cheetah helicopter crashed in the rugged Tangste region near Leh in Ladakh, in an incident officials described as “nothing short of a miracle”. The accident took place on 20 May, though details of the crash emerged publicly only on Friday morning.
According to reports, the helicopter, part of the Army’s Cheetah fleet, was carrying a Lieutenant Colonel, a Major, and Major General Sachin Mehta, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3 Infantry Division. The Lieutenant Colonel and the Major were piloting the single-engine helicopter, while Major General Mehta was travelling as a passenger.
Despite the severity of the crash, all three officers survived and sustained what officials described as minor injuries. “The incident was no less than a miracle,” officials said, pointing to the harsh terrain and difficult flying conditions in the high-altitude Himalayan region.
A photograph reportedly taken after the crash has since gone viral on social media. The image shows Major General Mehta posing for a selfie alongside the two other officers, seated on rocky terrain near the damaged remains of the helicopter.
Army authorities have ordered an official investigation to determine the cause of the crash. “A probe into what caused the crash is underway,” officials confirmed. The incident has once again raised concerns over the safety and reliability of the Army’s ageing Cheetah helicopters, many of which have remained in service since the 1970s.
The helicopter model has long been regarded for its ability to operate in difficult terrain and extreme altitudes, including during Operation Meghdoot, when Indian forces were deployed to the Siachen Glacier in 1984. However, the fleet has also been linked to several accidents over the years, with multiple pilots losing their lives in crashes.
Officials said the Indian Army is now preparing to gradually retire its ageing fleet of Cheetah helicopter and Chetak helicopters over the next one to two years. The replacement process is expected to unfold over eight to 10 years, with the Army pursuing a dual strategy involving the induction of domestically produced helicopters alongside leased aircraft to bridge operational gaps.
