HAL-Built Rudra Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Bengaluru

HAL built Dhruv helicopter. Image used for representational purposes.

(Photo: HAL)

An indigenously-developed Indian Army helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing on an agriculture field in Bengaluru’s outskirts on Tuesday, 5 February, reports said.

The helicopter, a Dhruv Mk IV 'Rudra', had to make the landing as it had developed a technical snag, PTI reported. Deccan Herald reported that the pilot was safe and there were no damages to the chopper either.

The incident occurred at Bengaluru’s Thattaguppe village, under Kaggalipura police station limits, at about 1 pm, police said.

Two trainee pilots had noticed the technical fault in the helicopter soon after it had taken off from the HAL Airport and had informed the local authorities before grounding it.

"Some problem was detected in the engine due to which they (pilots) landed at Thattaguppe. Nobody was injured," a police official told PTI.

Officials quoted by The Economic Times said that the HAL Rudra was on an acceptance sortie. “It had to make a precautionary landing at about 30 km off Bangalore, after the helicopter faced certain issues,” the officials said.

The aircraft, an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), was built by HAL and is attached to the army’s aviation wing.

The incident comes close on the heels of a Mirage 2000 aircraft crash at the HAL airport in the city on 1 February killing both the pilots while performing sorties.

(With inputs from PTI, Deccan Herald and The Economic Times)