Indian Navy's Chetak helicopter crashes at Kochi air station in Kerala, 1 killed
The Indian Navy chopper which was on a training flight, crashed soon after the lift-off, sources said.
An Indian Navy official was killed after a Chetak helicopter crashed on Saturday at the runway of the naval air station, INS Garuda in Kochi. The Indian Navy chopper which was on a training flight, crashed soon after the lift-off, sources added.
Indian Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and top officials mourned the loss of life and paid tribute to Yogendra Singh, LAM, who lost his life in the accident at Kochi and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, the spokesperson of the Indian Navy said.
“The Chetak helicopter met with a ground accident during maintenance taxi checks at INS Garuda, Kochi, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of one ground crew. A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of accident,” the Indian Navy said.
The Chetak chopper reportedly crashed during a routine training around 2.30pm.
The INS Garuda is adjacent to INS Venduruthy and the headquarters of Southern Naval Command. INS Garuda is a major naval air training centre as well as an operational base.
INS Garuda has two intersecting runways, allowing almost all operational aircraft to land and take off.
The INS Garuda has remained a strategic operating station for the Indian Navy, with several training schools, intelligence centres, maintenance and repair facilities and experimental stations based here.
