2011 Tawang Town Mil Mi-17 crash
Encyclopedia
2011 Tawang Town Mil Mi-17 crash was an accident of a Pawan Hans Mil Mi-17
2 on 19 April 2011. The helicopter has 18 passengers and 5 crew. The flight took off from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
in Assam to a heliport
near the town Tawang Town
in Tawang district. The flight was trying to land at the heliport which is on top of a hill but the helicopter crashed into a gorge 15 metres height from the heliport and caught fire. The accident occurred at around 1:30 pm. Reports say that 17 of 23 passengers and crew were killed in the accident.
sources said the chopper
caught fire, broke into pieces and crashed into a gorge close to the Tawang Civil helipad at around 1357 hours. The helicopter had taken off at 1245 hours, they said.
An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the helicopter crash-landed "due to likely wind shear
and down draft while landing
and caught fire on impact to the ground".
, registered VT-PHF, was also involved in a previous emergency landing
in the same region
.
An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the chopper crash-landed "due to likely wind shear and down draft while landing and caught fire on impact to the ground".
Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
2 on 19 April 2011. The helicopter has 18 passengers and 5 crew. The flight took off from Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport , also known as Guwāhāti International Airport and formerly as Borjhar Airport, is the airport of Guwahati, Assam, India. The airport is managed by Airports Authority of India and also serves as Indian Air Force base...
in Assam to a heliport
Heliport
A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
near the town Tawang Town
Tawang Town
Tawang is a small town situated at an elevation of approximately 3,048 meters in the northwestern part of Arunachal Pradesh state of India. The area is historically Tibetan territory and is claimed by both People's Republic of China and Republic of China as a part of South Tibet...
in Tawang district. The flight was trying to land at the heliport which is on top of a hill but the helicopter crashed into a gorge 15 metres height from the heliport and caught fire. The accident occurred at around 1:30 pm. Reports say that 17 of 23 passengers and crew were killed in the accident.
Response
Pawan HansPawan Hans
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited is a helicopter service company based in India. The operations are based at Vile Parle . Other than providing helicopter services to ONGC to its off-shore locations, this public sector company is often engaged for providing services to various state governments in...
sources said the chopper
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
caught fire, broke into pieces and crashed into a gorge close to the Tawang Civil helipad at around 1357 hours. The helicopter had taken off at 1245 hours, they said.
An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the helicopter crash-landed "due to likely wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
and down draft while landing
Landing
thumb|A [[Mute Swan]] alighting. Note the ruffled feathers on top of the wings indicate that the swan is flying at the [[Stall |stall]]ing speed...
and caught fire on impact to the ground".
Aircraft
The aircraft involved, a Mil Mi 17Mil Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 is a Russian helicopter currently in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude...
, registered VT-PHF, was also involved in a previous emergency landing
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
in the same region
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
.
Cause
The exact cause was yet to be ascertained though a technical snag could not be ruled out, the sources said.An official in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that as per initial reports the chopper crash-landed "due to likely wind shear and down draft while landing and caught fire on impact to the ground".