An Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 helicopter crash-landed in Uttarakhand on Wednesday morning while on routine duty.

According to an IAF spokesperson, the transport helicopter was carrying out a routine task from a helipad North of Badrinath in Uttarakhand.

Some persons onboard received minor injuries when the helicopter carrying 15 people, including crew members, crash- landed on Thastoli helipad near Mana, police sources said.

Prima-facie a technical fault led to the crash-landing, the sources said. “It was a force landing immediately after take-off. All crew and passengers are safe,” the spokesperson added.

A Court of Inquiry (CoI) has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the incident.

About Mil Mi-17

The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name “Hip“) is a Russian helicopter in production at two factories in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. It is a medium twin-turbine transport helicopter. There are also armed gunship versions.

Russia has handed over to India the final batch of three Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters under a previously signed contract even as it gets ready to ink yet another deal for another 48 such choppers.

The contract with Rosoboronexport, a company of Rostec State Corporation, entailed a total of 151 units of the Mi-17V-5 helicopter, produced by the Kazan Helicopter Plant, part of Russian Helicopters company.