Chopper crash kills two pilots in India-held Kashmir
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NEW DELHI: An Indian military helicopter crashed late Wednesday in restive Kashmir killing two pilots, reports said.
The aircraft, identified as an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), came down in mountainous Bandipore district, some 65 kilometres north of the Kashmiri summer capital Srinagar, killing a lieutenant colonel and a major, the Press Trust of India news agency said.
The chopper crashed about 30 minutes after it took off for a night training sortie from the army's aviation base at Manasbal.
There was no immediate reason given for the accident.
Rebel groups have been fighting Indian forces since 1989 for independence or to merge the territory with Pakistan.
The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two of their three wars over the scenic region, while years of fighting have left tens of thousands dead, most of them civilians.
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Comments (63) Closed
Feb 11, 2015 10:33pm
Afghan Army should train Indian Army to improve their performance
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Feb 11, 2015 10:38pm
Looks like Indian assembled Dhruv from the picture. They are crashing like mosquitoes in India and abroad.
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Feb 11, 2015 10:45pm
RIP
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Feb 11, 2015 10:48pm
...and the Americans want to sell nuclear fuel with them. God help us all.
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Feb 11, 2015 10:50pm
@SAL nothing is indian, they buy Rusdian, Ukrainian and East European parts, stick their flag then crash it. Btw, how many choppers left in India.
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Feb 11, 2015 10:56pm
@Silent Majority thats called a joke....
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Feb 11, 2015 11:03pm
I don't think Kashmiris will be crying any tears over this.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:05pm
@SAL the Dhruv is junk. Ecuador grounded them and the Turks - who ordered a few for evaluation, cancelled. Can't blame them. When it comes to flight safety or quality control seems indians are only good at putting together flying coffins
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Feb 11, 2015 11:10pm
@Zak Enough to feed you all day. I guess you must have known that after having so much taste of Indian defenses over the years.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:15pm
These same helicopters made by HAL (Indian state owned company) have crashed in Ecuador. Out of the 7 helicopters they have, 4 have crashed and the rest are grounded. Be careful when you buy Indian products.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:18pm
And then they assume China, their competitor.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:19pm
Submarine accidents, Naval Ships accidents, Helis accidents : China's competitor in the making?
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Feb 11, 2015 11:20pm
@Sonny Afridi They d love to be have such gifts daily i bet
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Feb 11, 2015 11:22pm
Dhruv has a horrible safety record. No accountability at all. Unnecessarily lives are lost and these idiots keep making shady equipment. When will India start investing in design rather than just importing. The few ones they make, ends up like this. Look at China. They also started a while back but today are building most of their stuff today is indigenous. In India, people are just too short sighted when it comes to defence!
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Feb 11, 2015 11:26pm
@Sumit Chaudhary ...but what about the helicopter!
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Feb 11, 2015 11:27pm
@Sonny Afridi ..they may have shot it down. Indians never tell the truth.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:30pm
For all those who are enjoying the situation, look at it from humanity point of view. Kids of these two pilots will wait for them to come home but they wont. I hope their family is able to survive the hard time which unfortunately is imminent after this accident. The only solution to Kashmir problem is sanity on both sides of the border. Our two nations have produced too many orphans since 1948. Lets resolve the issues and move on.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:32pm
@Mohammed serves Ecuador right for buying faulty kites.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:36pm
@Sumit Chaudhary So you didn't contradict Zak's claim
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Feb 11, 2015 11:41pm
@Shahryar Shirazi - Thank you.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:46pm
You reap what you sow.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:56pm
@Shahryar Shirazi;
" look at it from humanity point of view. Kids of these two pilots will wait for them to come home but they wont."
From humanitarian point of view, fewer Indian helicopters save a lot of Kashmiri lives.
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Feb 11, 2015 11:56pm
They can use toy helis remote operated. Will fly better than dhruv
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Feb 12, 2015 12:00am
@Shahryar Shirazi Thank you brother for pumping sanity into this.
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Feb 12, 2015 12:20am
@anony And pray tell us, exactly what seeds did these pilots sow?
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Feb 12, 2015 12:28am
If an Indian is reading this, I apologise for the silly comments above. An untimely death is unfortunate no matter whose. Not knowing much about warfare and military lifestyle I would imagine even they respect the enemy's dead.
Note: I am from a region that straddles Kashmir and KPK so I understand the sensibilities involved between India and Pakistan, and not being naive here. Just being a humanist.
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Feb 12, 2015 12:40am
This plane was crash during war practice as your kind of information. India is has multiple type session and environmental factor so many internationally factor are play lead role for selecting any aviation product . India has been suffering lot of accident in armed force from 2013 . You are righ. I will working on it and will give better result .
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Feb 12, 2015 12:40am
@Silent Majority Hahaha, that was too funny but a hard reality. Afghans have a better record then Indians
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Feb 12, 2015 01:54am
Is It technical fault or Shot down by Kashmari freedom
fighters??
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Feb 12, 2015 01:57am
@anony, that is what we are trying to learn from Pakistan.
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Feb 12, 2015 03:27am
They died on duty of protecting Kashmiri brothers. Respect to you from Kashmir. RIP
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Feb 12, 2015 04:29am
Make in India
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Feb 12, 2015 05:08am
Indian held Kashmir? What you going to say next, Indian held New Delhi? Kashmir is very much India.
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Feb 12, 2015 05:26am
Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has brought us great dishonor. Lets send some of our Pakistani brothers to do what they do best and regain this honor.
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Feb 12, 2015 05:35am
Confirmed Operators:
Civilian Version: Turkey, Peru
Military Operators: Ecuador, Israel, Madives, Mauritius, Nepal, Surinam, Chili
Also under negotiation with: Venezuela, Burma, Russia, Malaysia.
Crashes: Equator (Pilot error)
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Feb 12, 2015 06:17am
@Shahryar Shirazi
Thank you for such a sensible comment.
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Feb 12, 2015 06:53am
At least India has guts to make something on its own....eventually it will turn into a fine product...
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Feb 12, 2015 07:06am
@Zak Why when country like you are involved in stealing technology from other country , involved in selling the country to rogue countries. Country whose Naval based , Airports , not a single corner is safe . they are talking now.
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Feb 12, 2015 07:10am
@Kashif
"@Silent Majority Hahaha, that was too funny but a hard reality. Afghans have a better record then Indians"
I don't want to comment but you have compelled me to do so, do you remember 1971, that was done by this untrained (As per your understanding)army who made your Brave and well Trained Pak army(around 90000 Soldiers) sit on their knees......
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Feb 12, 2015 07:23am
@Shahryar Shirazi - very good comment from a humanity point of view. Great.
Think about how soldiers and officers are dying untimely death in Pak. Defence personal are doing their duty to safeguard their nation on both sides.
Write good things and leave animosity
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Feb 12, 2015 08:04am
China dude we can sense your embarrassement, who was claiming to be your competitor
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Feb 12, 2015 08:06am
It's time to equip these choppers with parachutes.
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Feb 12, 2015 08:40am
second thing india is more and more developed thn pakistan so we dont need your advise that what we should do.
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Feb 12, 2015 08:57am
@abhishek haha nodoys gives u advice. Ou guys yourself are good to pull such antics haha
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Feb 12, 2015 09:30am
Those who never do any mistakes and fear accidents they are happy as eternal importers. They import machines, spare parts and technicians and justify themselves when someother advances fearlessly.
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Feb 12, 2015 09:40am
Tragic accident and I do agree with some pakistani guys here, accident has happened and India needs to make sure Dhruv is fixed if there's any serious issue. Hindustan Aeronautical Limited must be under pressure but we have trust in our scientists.
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Feb 12, 2015 09:42am
Guys one of the dead pilots was a Muslim. Please do not assume that Indian Muslims are supporting Kashmir movement!
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Feb 12, 2015 10:01am
As per standard, these helicopters are meant to scare off only Pakistan army. For others we have other different weapon system.
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Feb 12, 2015 10:07am
@Silent Majority
Afghan army should also train Pakistan army who could not detect American SEALs landing nearly inside your VVIP army compound.
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Feb 12, 2015 10:08am
@SAL
Well can your country make mosquito repellent coil or they import from China?
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Feb 12, 2015 10:10am
@Zak
I guess you are champions of technology. Living of alms.
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Feb 12, 2015 10:21am
@Sarmad what makes the person who were in the helicopter enemy ? My father was born in peshawar and that was India then. Now its pakistan and India is an enemy . Its all man made and the hatred which makes the same people as enemies now
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Feb 12, 2015 10:23am
@Narendra haha scare off my army, dts y out of fear they on their own crash on
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Feb 12, 2015 10:57am
@Zak india with same technology have reached on mars...and i think pakistan have not yet reached on moon...ha ha ha
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Feb 12, 2015 11:57am
@A Shah There are no Kashmiri militants only few imported ones left in Kashmir. Accidents keep happening. The loss is unfortunate for the family of those killed. Yes Dhruv needs to better safely record.
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Feb 12, 2015 12:12pm
Some one has commented on 1971 below .....Yes , India won . Indians are matchless when it comes to dirty fighting . So let us give credit where it is due. India was very skillful in flaming the Insurgency in ( then) East Pakistan , just like India is doing in Baluchistan now. And dear Indian trolls , do not forget being thrashed in the 1965 battle. We didn't win that eventually but Indian Army did not get it's filthy boots on our soil , either.
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Feb 12, 2015 01:35pm
@rehan gandu. Read some history books.
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Feb 12, 2015 02:48pm
@Dr K that part is very much Indian occupied Kashmir, ask kashmiris not u.
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Feb 12, 2015 02:49pm
@sameer shaikh maybe on Mars you will find food to feed 90% of poverty stricken indian population. Btw, that too is Russian made with indian flag glued on.
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Feb 12, 2015 02:58pm
@Silent Majority best comment .
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Feb 12, 2015 06:12pm
@rehan Good comment bro.
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Feb 12, 2015 09:32pm
@Zak - You have outshone them all today :)
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Feb 13, 2015 11:05pm
@Zak "That too is Russian made"
I guess you too are Russian made. Try and have discussion about yourself in home, we might have some break through.
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