IAF chopper crashes in Budgam, pilots among 4 killed

Srinagar, Feb 27: A total of four people, including pilots, were killed after an Mi-17 helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) reportedly crashed in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam on Wednesday. A 'technical fault' is said to be the reason behind the crash.

The chopper had reportedly taken-off from Technical Airport in Budgam. The debris was found 7 kms from the airport. So far this month, two IAF fighter jets have crashed (excluding the mid-air collision of two Surya Kiran aircrafts during Aero India 2019) .

"IAF's technical team will arrive and ascertain facts. Till now, we have found two bodies," news agency quoted SSP Budgam as saying.

On February 12, a MiG-27 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed near Pokhran in Rajasthan. The pilot of the MiG-27 had ejected safely. The jet was on a training mission and had taken-off from Jaisalmer.

On February 1, a Mirage 2000 trainer fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Bengaluru. Both the pilots - Squadron leader Negi and Squadron leader Abrol - of the fighter aircraft had died in the Mirage 2000 crash. Both pilots had ejected, but one of them died as he landed on the wreckage of the aircraft. Other pilot who had also ejected has succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

On February 20, one pilot was killed when two Surya Kiran Acrobatic team aircrafts collided mid-air during AeroIndia 2019.

Not including today's crash, as many as 41 IAF pilots have died in aircraft crashes in the last four years. This is emerging as a serious concern for the Indian Air Force as there have been 30 crashes in the last four years.