Three officers of the Indian Army, including a Major General, survived after a Cheetal light helicopter crashed near Leh in the Ladakh sector on May 20, according to military officials. The accident occurred during an afternoon sortie and has once again drawn attention to the ageing fleet of Cheetah and Cheetal helicopters still being operated by the Indian armed forces in high-altitude regions.
Officials stated that the helicopter involved in the crash was carrying Division Commander Sachin Mehta along with two Army pilots when the accident took place.
According to Army sources, all three officers survived the crash and are currently safe and stable. However, they sustained injuries during the incident, with the two pilots reportedly suffering minor injuries that required hospital treatment.
Military officials confirmed that the injured personnel were evacuated and provided medical assistance shortly after the crash. Authorities have not yet disclosed the exact circumstances under which the helicopter went down.
Following the incident, a selfie reportedly taken by Major General Sachin Mehta after surviving the crash surfaced on social media platforms and quickly went viral. The image attracted widespread attention online because it appeared to show the senior Army officer in stable condition shortly after the accident.
The Army has since ordered a formal Court of Inquiry to determine the exact cause of the helicopter crash. Investigators are expected to examine technical factors, weather conditions, maintenance history, and operational details connected to the sortie.
The helicopter involved in the incident was identified as a Cheetal helicopter, an upgraded version of the older HAL Cheetah helicopter fleet. The Cheetal variant is equipped with a more powerful TM333B engine and was introduced to improve performance in high-altitude conditions.
The Cheetah and Cheetal helicopters trace their origins to the French-designed Aerospatiale Alouette III platform, which was later produced in India under licence.
For decades, these light helicopters have played a crucial role in military operations across difficult terrains such as Ladakh, Siachen Glacier, and Arunachal Pradesh because of their ability to operate effectively in extremely thin air and harsh weather conditions where larger aircraft often struggle.
The helicopters have been extensively used for reconnaissance missions, troop transportation, casualty evacuation, surveillance operations, and delivery of supplies to isolated forward military posts located in mountainous areas inaccessible by road.
However, despite their operational importance, the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets have increasingly faced scrutiny over safety concerns, technical limitations, and maintenance-related issues.
A significant portion of the fleet has been in service for several decades, leading to repeated concerns regarding airworthiness and accident risks in difficult operational environments.
In recent years, the Indian armed forces have gradually begun replacing these older helicopters with newer indigenous platforms developed domestically.
India has already started inducting the Light Utility Helicopter, commonly known as LUH, which has been developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The LUH programme is intended to eventually replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets across both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.
The latest crash near Leh is likely to further intensify discussions regarding the urgent modernisation of India’s light military helicopter fleet, especially given the critical role these aircraft continue to play in sensitive high-altitude operational zones along India’s northern borders.
