Accident Report

Two senior Army officials killed in chopper crash in HP
Shimla | Thursday, May 24 2007 18:04:53 IST

Two Indian Army officers were killed after their helicopter crashed and exploded after getting entangled in overhead wire in Kinnuar district of Himachal Pradesh early today, officials said.

The helicopter, which was on a regular reconnaissance flight from Karcham to Bhavnagar in the district, crashed and exploded after getting entangled in the overhead wire of span, while trying to land at the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam's (SJVNL) helipad at Sungra, about 184 km from here, district DSP Prem Kumar told UNI here.

Mr Kumar said according to Army Havildar Leela Dhar, who was on duty at the helipad, the Cheetah helicopter's rotor separated after getting entangled, while the chopper crashed into a hill and exploded, killing Lt Col Praveen D Cunha, 39, and Major Punnet Karol, 31, on the spot.

Senior district, police and Army officials rushed to the site immediately after the accident to supervise rescue and relief operations, he said. The DSP said the ITBP, police and Army personnel retrieved badly burnt bodies from the debris of the helicopter spread over a huge area.  Bhawanagar SDM RR Verma said the bodies of the Army officers were being handed over to their relatives after post mortem examination at a hospital at Bhawanagar.

He said the district administration and the Army have ordered inquiries to ascertain the cause of the accident.

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A Mangalorean army pilot was killed in a tragic chopper crash today 24 May 2007, in Himachal Pradesh. The defense officials identified the pilots as Lt. Col. Praveen D'Cunha and Major Puneet Karol.

B.R. Verma IAS, Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur at Reckong Peo speaking to our correspondent in Mangalore over the phone, first confirmed the news and informed that Lt. Col. Praveen D'Cunha one among the 2 pilots killed in the Cheetah helicopter of the Army Aviation Corps crash, was a Mangalorean who was settled in Delhi.

The crash occurred at 10.50 a.m. in Karcham in the tribal district of Kinnaur soon after the helicopter lost contact with the air traffic control (ATC).

The Army Aviation Corps (AAC) helicopter had taken off from Jalandhar and was to fly to Bhavnagar to Karcham - both in Himachal Pradesh - before returning to its base. Cheetah helicopters are used to ferrying personnel and supplies, as also for reconnaissance.

Mangalorean.com Team in New Delhi, upon learning the news was able to trace the family of Lt. Col. D'Cunha and learnt that Lt. Col. Praveen D'Cunha is the son of Jerald D’Cunha known as Jerry hailing from Neermarga and Flavy D’Cunha of Cassia, Mangalore.

The D'Cunha family lives at Sector 14, Faridabad. Praveen who was born on 18 July, 1966, is the second among three children of Jerry and Flavia, the eldest daughter Preethi who is married and settled in Bangalore and the second son was Praveen and youngest son Praneesh who lives in Abu Dhabi.

Praveen studied his schooling up to 10 std. at St Joseph Convent School Faridabad and completed his 12th from St Xavier’s College  at New Delhi. He graduated in Arts from Hansraj College New Delhi and continued to study Law at Delhi University and was selected on the basis of merit by the Indian Military Academy.

After one and half year of completing his training from IMA, Praveen was deployed with 193 Field Regiment. He further continued pursuing training and became an instructor pilot for the army helicopter.  Lt Col Praveen was currently serving as an officer commanding 31 RNO regiment in Jalandhar.

Praveen is married to Nicole and together they have one five year old son Kevin. The family member speaking to our correspondent said that Praveen was very intelligent boy from his childhood and was passed out from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun in 1990. According to the family sources, Preethi and Praneesh have left for New Delhi to attend the funeral of Lt Col. Praveen D'Cunha.

There were differing accounts of how the accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses near the crash site are reported to have told local officials that the helicopter caught fire after getting entangled in high-voltage electricity wires while trying to land.

There are several hydroelectric projects in the area and electricity wires are common in the rocky mountain terrain.

However, police in Himachal Pradesh capital Shimla said the helicopter crashed after its rotors got entangled in a span wire strung across two mountains.

Span wires are used to ferry goods-carrying trolleys from one hill to another in areas where roads cannot be constructed.

Rescue teams were dispatched to the area where the helicopter crashed, a defence official here said.

A court of inquiry had also been ordered, he added.

Thursday's crash was the second of a Cheetah this year and the seventh of a military aircraft.

On April 11, two pilots were killed when an Indian Air Force (IAF) Cheetah crashed over the Siachen glacier in Jammu and Kashmir.

Funeral Ceremony of Lt Col D'Cunha  at http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=44431