Aircrash Update 3: Friday, May 25 - 7-45 am
Pic by Ashley Noronha
While Lt Col Praveen's brother Pranesh was to fly from the UAE and arrive in Delhi late Thursday, his sister Preeti and brother-in-law Olton Viegas from Bangalore also flew to Delhi in the night.
Speaking to Daijiworld's resident editor Richie Lasrado, Olton Viegas said on Friday morning as he drove from the airport to Faridabad that the mortal remains of the late army officer were likely to be brought to Delhi in the afternoon on Friday, and the funeral could be held on Saturday, the tentative timing being 10-00 am.
Further details are awaited.
About Cheetah helicopter
The Helicopter division of the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Bangalore manufactures the versatile and multi-purpose Cheetah Helicopters for Civil and Military applications both for Domestic and International customers.
Major Features
- HAL version of Aerospatiale Lama SA 315
- Lightweight high performance helicopter
- Specially designed for operation over a wide range of weights, centers of gravity and altitude conditions
- Simple in concept and rugged in construction
- Powered by the tried and trusted. Artouste-IIIB engine, also manufactured at HAL under licence from Turbomeca of France
- The turbo-shaft engine produces 550 S.H.P. at 33500 rpm.
- Incorporates the latest technologies viz., hydraulic servo controls, ultra sensitive constant speed governor and an automatic starting system facilitating starting and take-off in less than a minute
- With minimal adaptation it can be transformed into an excellent sprayer
- Agile and highly manoeuverable, the Cheetah can carry external cargo up to 1 MT
- Excels in observation, surveillance, logistics support, earth resource survey and rescue operations
- Comfortably seats five
- Can operate in unfavorable environmental conditions
Aircrash Update 2: Thursday, 10-00 pm
by Richie Lasrado
(inputs courtesy: Dr Michael Lobo and Raymond Menezes)
Daijiworld has gathered the family details of the deceased army officer Lt Col J M Praveen D'Cunha.
He was the son of Faridabad residents Gerald ("Gerry") D'Cunha of Neermarga origin and Flavia (nee D'Souza, daughter of the late Stephen and Bridget D'Souza, Monkey Stand Road, Mangalore and a former teacher), brother of Preeti (married to Olton Viegas, Bangalore) and Pranesh, and nephew of Dinah and Raymond Menezes, Noble Travel, Harrow, Middlesex, England.
Aircrash Update I: Thursday, 9-00 pm
File pic of Satluj hills where the crash took place (Pic courtesy: Romesh Bhattacharii)
The burning helicopter crashed killing Lt Colonel D'Cunha, 38, and Major Puneet Karoon, 28, on the spot.
An army havaldar deputy at the helipad reported the incident to the police and the civil authorities.
The havaldar told the police that the helicopter successfully encircled the helipad twice. On the third round, one of its blade got entwined with the wires, resulting in the crash.
According to an Army spokesman, the wreckage of the helicopter, which was on a routine sortie, has been found.
A court of inquiry has been ordered, he said, adding rescue teams have been rushed by air and road to the site.
Earlier report: Thursday, 8-30 pm
Two Indian Army Pilots Killed in Chopper CrashWith inputs from IANS
Chandigarh, May 24: Two Indian Army pilots were killed when their Cheetah helicopter crashed in Himachal Pradesh Thursday, an official here said.
A defence spokesman identified the pilots as Lt Col J M P D'Cunha and Major Puneet Karol.
Sources close to daijiworld said that 38-year-old Lt D'Cunha hailed from Mangalore. More details could not be gathered at the moment. But origin of the pilot is not yet disclosed by the officials. Some sources say the name of the pilot is Praveen D Khanna.
The crash occurred at 10.50 a.m. in Karcham in the tribal district of Kinnaur soon after the helicopter lost contact with the air traffic control (ATC).
The Army Aviation Corps (AAC) helicopter had taken off from Jalandhar and was to fly to Bhavnagar to Karcham - both in Himachal Pradesh - before returning to its base. Cheetah helicopters are used to ferrying personnel and supplies, as also for reconnaissance.
There were differing accounts of how the accident occurred.
Eyewitnesses near the crash site are reported to have told local officials that the helicopter caught fire after getting entangled in high-voltage electricity wires while trying to land.
There are several hydroelectric projects in the area and electricity wires are common in the rocky mountain terrain.
However, police in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla said the helicopter crashed after its rotors got entangled in a span wire strung across two mountains.
Span wires are used to ferry goods-carrying trolleys from one hill to another in areas where roads cannot be constructed.
Rescue teams were despatched to the area where the helicopter crashed, a defence official here said.
A court of inquiry had also been ordered, he added.
Thursday's crash was the second of a Cheetah this year and the seventh of a military aircraft.
On April 11, two pilots were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) Cheetah crashed over the Siachen glacier in Jammu and Kashmir.
The IAF also lost five other aircraft in the last five months.
A Jaguar fighter had crashed at the Nal air base in Rajasthan Jan 18. An indigenously developed Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH) had crashed Feb 2 while rehearsing for the Aero India international air show at Yelahanka near Bangalore. A MiG-21 fighter met a similar fate near Kurseong in West Bengal March 1.
On May 8, an MiG-29 fighter crashed soon after taking off from Adampur in Punjab but the pilot managed to bail out safely.
Two pilots died May 22 after a MiG-21 fighter crashed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Soon after assuming office last month, the IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Fali Major, had said the force had recorded its lowest rate of 0.36 percent accidents per 10,000 flying hours in its 75-year history.
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