Tragic Helicopter Crash Near Pune Claims Lives of Ex-IAF Pilots and Engineer

Three individuals, including two ex-Indian Air Force pilots and an engineer, were killed in a helicopter crash near Pune. The helicopter, owned by Heritage Aviation and hired by the Nationalist Congress Party, caught fire after the crash. Preliminary information suggests fog may have caused the accident.

In a tragic incident, two former Indian Air Force pilots and an engineer lost their lives when a private helicopter crashed and subsequently caught fire near Pune city on Wednesday morning, according to police reports.

The helicopter, operated by Delhi-based Heritage Aviation and hired by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had taken off from Oxford County Golf Course helipad near Pune and was en route to Juhu in Mumbai when it crashed around 7:40 am. NCP Maharashtra unit chief and MP Sunil Tatkare, who had flown in the same helicopter just the day prior, expressed his profound grief over the incident.

The victims were identified as pilot Paramjeet Singh (62), co-pilot G K Pillai (57), both retired IAF officers, and aircraft maintenance engineer Pritam Kumar Bhardwaj (53). While initial reports suggest that foggy conditions contributed to the accident, a thorough investigation by authorities will reveal the exact cause.

(With inputs from agencies.)