Chopper crash near Leh: Injured major general poses, pilot flashes 'victory' sign in viral selfie

THree years after an ground forces acinonyx jubatus eggbeater carrying senior officers crashed in Ladakh, a selfie of an regular army Major who survived the crash, along with his colleagues, has emerged.The incident ocurred on May 20 when the Cheetah helicopter with three army officers crashed in the mountainous Tangste region near Leh. Though it happened on Wednesday, the details emerged on Friday.Now a selfie has emerged showing an injured Major General Sachin Mehta posing beside the wreckage while one of the pilots flashed a ‘victory’ sign. Crash in high-altitude regionThe accident reportedly took place on May 20 in the mountainous Tangste region near Leh, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The single-engine Army Cheetah helicopter was carrying general Sachin Mehta, general officer commanding of the 3 Infantry Division, along with two pilots, a lieutenant colonel and a major, when it crashed.Officials said all three occupants escaped with minor injuries and are safe and stable. They described the survival of everyone on board as “nothing short of a miracle”, given the difficult terrain and high-altitude flying conditions in the region.All three escape with minor injuriesOfficials said Army aviation operations in eastern Ladakh are particularly challenging because of steep mountainous terrain, unpredictable weather and thin air at high altitudes. The Cheetah helicopter is frequently used for transport, reconnaissance and logistics missions in forward areas along the LAC.Officials said the Indian Army is also planning to phase out its ageing fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters in the coming years and replace them with Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) as part of a broader modernisation drive.Army plans phase-out of Cheetah, Chetak fleetThe Army is expected to require around 250 new helicopters and is pursuing a two-pronged strategy that includes inducting indigenously produced LUHs and leasing similar aircraft as stopgaps for critical operational needs.Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which had licence-produced hundreds of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters for the armed forces, now focuses on maintenance and overhaul of the ageing fleet.Officials said that the existing fleet remains airworthy for now but has been under scrutiny due to a string of accidents in recent years. Over 15 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters have crashed in the last decade, raising concerns over safety in high-altitude operations, even as these aircraft continue to serve as a crucial lifeline for troops in remote Himalayan regions, including Siachen.