Army Major General, Two Pilots Survive Cheetah Helicopter Crash Near China Border in Ladakh

NEW DELHI: An Indian Army Cheetah helicopter crashed in the high-altitude Tangste region of eastern Ladakh on Wednesday, May 20, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the China border. All three officers on board survived the accident with minor injuries. The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Leh, confirmed the incident. 

“The helicopter was carrying Major General Sachin Mehta, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 3rd Infantry Division, along with two pilots, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major. All three sustained minor injuries and were evacuated to a military hospital in Leh, where they are stable and out of danger, NNP has learnt. 

The crash occurred during a routine sortie in the strategically sensitive Tangste sector, close to the Shyok River in eastern Ladakh, a region that shares proximity with the Chinese border and is considered one of the most challenging flight environments in the world due to steep mountains, unpredictable weather, and thin air at extreme altitudes.

The incident came to public attention only on Saturday, May 23, three days after it occurred, when Army officials informally confirmed it through background briefings to wire agencies. The Indian Army has since ordered a Court of Inquiry to examine technical, mechanical and environmental factors behind the crash.

What caught widespread attention on social media was a selfie clicked by Maj Gen Mehta with the two pilots at the crash site, reflecting remarkable composure in the face of a near-fatal accident.

Retired Lieutenant General Satish Dua, former Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, praised the officers’ spirit before sharing the now-viral image. Posting on X, he wrote, “Maj Gen Sachin Mehta clicked a selfie with the two pilots after they had a miraculous escape, as the Cheetah helicopter they were flying in crashed in Tangste, Ladakh. Fortune favours the brave. Jai Hind.”

Well-known defence journalist Shiv Aroor also reacted strongly, noting that the Major General had miraculously survived the crash near Leh along with two other officers, and that the selfie radiated the Indian Army’s irrepressible spirit. 

However, Aroor did not stop there. He criticised the government and the defence establishment, stating that  “The harsh truth remains, for 2 decades, the Army hasn’t got new-gen light helicopters for high altitude ops. Shameful.”

The Cheetah helicopter, a single-engine aircraft that entered service in the early 1970s, remains the backbone of Army Aviation in high-altitude areas despite many airframes being 40 to 50 years old. The incident has reignited a long-standing debate over the urgent need to replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleet with HAL’s Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), whose induction has faced repeated delays.

Notably, after three days of the incident, no formal press release or statement has been issued by the Northern Command of the Indian Army, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson, or the Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army, raising questions about transparency and timely communication of a significant operational incident occurring near a sensitive border zone.

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Shoaibur Rahman

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