Arunachal chopper crash: Rescue ops ends with recovery of 5th body

TEZPUR: With the recovery of the fifth and last body, the search and rescue mission in the October 21 helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh has concluded, Army spokesperson said on Saturday.

The Indian army and Air Force Saturday ended searches after the mortal remains of fifth army personnel, on board the advanced light helicopter (AHL) that crashed on Friday was retrieved, the Public Relation Officer (PRO) (Tezpur) said today.

As per reports, three columns of army personnel were conducting the operation on foot, while one MI17 and two ALH choppers were pressed into service to trace the personnel.

The Indian Army Aviation Advance Light Helicopter (Weapon Systems Integrated) - ALH WSI based at Likabali (Assam), with five personnel on board had on Friday crashed at 10:43 am near Singging village, 25 kilometres away from the Tuting headquarters in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.

The chopper had taken off from Likabali in the Lower Siang district. Earlier the defence PRO had said that the mortal remains of the four military personnel were recovered and one was reported missing in the crash.

A court of inquiry constituted to probe the crash will focus on the 'May Day' call received by Air Traffic Control (ATC) suggesting a technical or mechanical failure on the chopper, officials said.

"Prior to the crash, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) had received a MAY DAY call suggesting a technical or mechanical failure," the release said. "This will form the focus of the Court of Inquiry, which has been immediately constituted to investigate the causes of the accident," read a statement by the Defence PRO. Previously on October 5 this year, an Indian Army pilot died in a Cheetah helicopter crash near the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh.