Missing IAF chopper in Arunachal found; all crew members dead

Indian Air Force's Advanced Light Helicopter on Tuesday went missing in Sagalee area of Arunachal Pradesh's Papumpare district has been found.

New Delhi, July 5: The wreckage of an Indian Air Force jet that went missing on Tuesday with three operating crew on board has been found. All crew members are reported dead.

The chopper was located in Pampunpare district of Arunachal Pradesh, a heavily forested area; all crew members dead, according to Times Now.

Wing Commander MS Dhillon was the pilot of the helicopter. He is the commanding officer of the unit. Dhillon, along with Flight Lieutenant PK Singh and Flight Engineer Sgt Gujjar were on board the indigenous helicopter.

The Advanced Light Helicopter of the IAF engaged in flood rescue mission in the state went missing on Tuesday at 3.50 pm after it took off from Pilputu Helipad near Sagalee for the Naharlagun heliport.

The helicopter was evacuating people stranded in Sagalee and Dambuk due to massive landslides caused by heavy rains.

A massive ground search operation was on for the second day on Wednesday in Arunachal Pradesh for the helicopter.

Rescue teams from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police along with state police were trekking through the jungle and hill areas between Yupia and Hoj Telam in Papum Pare district to locate the missing chopper.

In May last, a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet with two pilots of Indian Air Force had crashed near the Assam- Arunachal border.

Oneindia News