In an unfortunate helicopter crash near Pune city, on Wednesday morning, two ex-India Air Force pilots and a former engineer lost their lives. The helicopter is owned by the Delhi-based private aviation company, Heritage Aviation and has been chartered by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Sunil Tatkare, the Maharashtra unit chief and a Member of Parliament, stated that he had flown in the same chopper the day before and was going to use it again on Wednesday. The helicopter caught fire following the crash with hills, adding to the complexity of the scenario.
According to the officials, the crash took place in a valley between two hills, hidden behind a building site. Following the impact, some components of the helicopter caught fire. The event was notified to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by the authorities from the Pimpri Chinchwad police and the district disaster management. The police secured the crash site to let the DGCA’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) conduct their inquiry. As per a police official, a team from the AAIB initiated their probe at the crash site on Wednesday evening.
Details of the Crash
A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officer confirmed that the helicopter crash took place at 7:40 am in Pune. The helicopter that was involved was an Agusta 109 model of Heritage Aviation. Following the collision, the local police sent water tankers and fire tenders to the scene.
Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner, Vinoykumar Choubey said, “Three individuals have tragically lost their lives in the crash. The chopper was on its way to Juhu from Oxford Golf Course resort. Our teams mobilized immediately upon receiving the call.”
The pilots who lost their lives were Wing Commander Girish Kumar Pillai (retd), aged 57, and Wing Commander Paramjeet Singh (retd), aged 62, along with flight engineer Pritamchand Bharadwaj, aged 53. Inspector Rushikesh Ghadge of Hinjewadi police station said that Pillai and Singh were retired Wing Commanders of IAF. Bharadwaj, who retired from the Indian Navy in 2002, was originally from Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district but was residing in Kharghar, Mumbai. Pillai was from Kerala and Singh was from Dwarka area of Delhi.
Senior inspector Kanhaiyya Thorat said in his statement that they have informed the families of the deceased. “We have performed a panchnama of the crash site. The DGCA team has begun its investigation. We have cordoned the area.”
NCP MP Tatkare expressed his sympathies, saying, “I am deeply saddened by the incident. The helicopter was hired by our party, and on Tuesday, I had flown in it to Parli in Beed district. Today, I was supposed to fly from Mumbai to Raigad his constituency in the same helicopter.”
Investigation Underway
AAIB sent a team to gather the evidence from the crash site. A top AAIB official indicated that a preliminary report will be released shortly. This tragic incident comes on the heels of another helicopter disaster, on August 24, when a private aircraft carrying people from Mumbai to Hyderabad went down close to Pune’s Paud region. Fortunately, there were no casualties in that tragedy.
The ongoing investigation seeks to identify every contributing element to this regrettable mishap. The goal of the authorities is to enhance aviation safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.
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Naina Jaggi is an author deeply rooted in Journalism, mainly writing on lifestyle, entertainment, travel, politics and financial markets. This diverse experience has allowed her to blend rich details with engaging narratives that capture the essence of various worlds. When she is not crafting tales, you’ll find her immersed in music and enjoying the company of dogs. She is also into K-dramas, thriller and horror movies that fuel her imagination, bringing the same spark to her stories.
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