An IAF’s Apache helicopter made an emergency landing in Ladakh and sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude, the IAF said on Thursday.

Apache Helicopter Accident: 4 Crashes In 2 Months

An IAF’s Apache helicopter made an emergency landing in Ladakh and sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude, the IAF said on Thursday. It added that the incident took place on Wednesday and both the pilots on board are safe.

“An IAF Apache helicopter carried out a precautionary landing during an operational training sortie in Ladakh on April 3. During the process of this landing, it sustained damage due to undulating terrain and high altitude,” the IAF said in a brief statement. “Both the pilots on board are safe and have been recovered to the nearest airbase. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause,” the IAF said.

The incident took place days after the IAF Chinook, Mi-17 and ALH helicopters landed on a stretch of the national highway linking Kashmir with the rest of the country as part of an Emergency Landing Facility drill, the first such exercise in Jammu and Kashmir. Under a deal signed with the United States in September 2015 worth ₹ 13,952 crore, the IAF inducted 22 of these advanced helicopters. Additionally, the Indian Army is in the process of receiving six Apache helicopters under a separate contract inked in February 2020, valued at ₹ 5,691 crore.

Produced by the American aerospace company Boeing, the Apache is one of the cutting-edge multi-role combat helicopters and serves as a key asset for the US Army.

US Army Apache Crashes​

The IAF incident comes on the heels of four US Army Apache crashes within the past two months. A recent incident near Fort Carson, Colorado resulted in minor pilot injuries and a temporary grounding of aviation assets.