An Army Cheetah helicopter on its way to pick up sick BSF personnel crashed near the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir's Gurez Sector on Friday, killing its pilot and injuring the co-pilot.
Informing about the same, PRO (Defence), Srinagar, said the helicopter lost communication contact with the forward post at Gujran, Baraub. A search operation on foot was immediately launched by the Indian Army alongside search and rescue helicopters which were pressed into service, he said.
The wreckage of the crashed helicopter was found in a snowbound Gujran Nallah area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora. The pilot and the co-pilot of the helicopter were grievously injured in the crash and were immediately evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur, PRO (Defence), Srinagar added.
The pilot who was killed has been identified as Maj Sankalp Yadav. The 29-year-old succumbed to his injuries at 92 Base Hospital. Meanwhile, the injured pilot is critical, however stable and is presently in ICU, said PRO (Defence), Srinagar. Events leading to the crash of the helicopter are being ascertained, he added.
Know more about Maj Sankalp Yadav:
Maj Sankalp Yadav was commissioned in 2015 and was a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan. He belonged to Army Aviation Corps. He is survived by his father.
