2015 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash

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2015 Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash
A Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 similar to the aircraft involved in the accident
Accident
Date8 May 2015 (2015-05-08)
SummaryLoss of control due to mechanical failure
SiteNaltar, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Aircraft
Aircraft typeMil Mi-17
OperatorPakistan Army Aviation Corps
Flight originGilgit Airport, Pakistan
DestinationNaltar Valley, Pakistan
Occupants20
Passengers17
Crew3
Fatalities8
Injuries11
Survivors12

On 8 May 2015, a Mil Mi-17 transport helicopter of the Pakistan Army Aviation Corps crashed in Naltar, in the Gilgit District of the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan, killing eight people.[1][2] Among the victims were the ambassadors of Norway and the Philippines to Pakistan, as well as the spouses of the Indonesian and Malaysian ambassadors to Pakistan, and three crew.[3][4][5]

Government officials and international dignitaries were travelling to the Naltar Valley where the Prime Minister was hosting lunch for the members of the diplomatic corps.[6] Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to travel by fixed-wing aircraft, while 32 foreign diplomats and their spouses as well as 25 other Pakistanis were flown in from Islamabad to Gilgit Airport hours earlier, from where a flight of four helicopters was scheduled to transport them to nearby Naltar. Two of the helicopters had already landed at the time of the incident.[7] The helicopter lost control and crashed while landing; the cause of the crash has been attributed to mechanical failure of the helicopter's tail rotor.

Background

Location of Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan

The Pakistani dignitaries and international diplomats from 37 countries along with their families were on a three-day visit to Gilgit-Baltistan as part of the efforts of the Government to showcase the beauty and culture of Northern Areas. The programme included Lunch by the Prime Minister at Naltar, visits to Hunza, Altit Fort, Baltit Fort, Atabad Lake and Phunder Lake including cultural/sports activities. The delegation had been flown in from Nur Khan Air Force base in Islamabad to Gilgit Airport via Pakistan Air Force's C-130 transport aircraft, arriving earlier in the morning. From Gilgit Airport, the delegation was scheduled to be ferried via a convoy of three Pakistan Army's Mil Mi-17 helicopters to Naltar Valley, located 45 km from Gilgit.[1][8] Naltar is part of the Karakoram mountain range and is the oldest ski resort in the country, located at 10,000 feet.[8] At the time of the incident, the two other helicopters carrying delegation members had already landed.[1][9]

The helicopter crash landed into the roof of an

Combined Military Hospital.[1][13] The Police cordoned off the area, following up on security arrangements which had been made three days earlier ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.[1]

Prime Minister

Arnold Raphel and other key American officials.[14] Previously, there have been four Mi-17 helicopter crashes in Pakistan, including three minor ones in 2004, 2007 and 2012, and a major one in 2009.[5]

Victims

Casualties by nationality
Country Deaths Injuries Ref.
 Pakistan 3 6
 Norway 1 0
 Malaysia 1 1
 Poland 0 1
 Indonesia 2 0
 Netherlands 0 1
 South Africa 0 1
 Romania 0 1
 Philippines 1 0
Total 9 11

The helicopter was carrying a total of 17 passengers and three crew. Of the passengers, 11 were foreigners and six were Pakistanis.

Domingo Lucenario of the Philippines, and Burhan Muhammad of Indonesia (the latter dying of his wounds on 19 May),[16] as well as the spouses of the high commissioner of Malaysia and ambassador of Indonesia, Habibah Mahmud, and Heri Listyawati Burhan Muhammad respectively.[11]

The ambassadors of

Investigation

The helicopter crash was attributed to technical and mechanical fault, indicated by the

Chief of Air Staff constituted a military board of inquiry, the results of which would be made available to the public.[20]

One

Aman added that the pilots were "proficient and excellent" and had experience with flights in the area.[22]

Aftermath

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif declared the following Saturday a national day of mourning, during which the national flag was lowered to half-mast, and expressed "deep grief and sorrow over the tragic incident", and said he "extended heartfelt condolences to those who lost their lives in this incident."[6] The Chief of Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif, expressed his "deepest grief" at the incident, stating: "it is a sad day for all of us and our heart goes out to the bereaved families at this sad moment of their life."[15] The Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan Shah Jehan Mir also expressed shock and visited the hospital to inquire about the injured.[1] Condolences also poured in from throughout the country and internationally.[1]

Pakistani authorities ruled out the possibility of a terror attack, following up on a claim by the militant group

Tehreek-e-Taliban that it had downed the helicopter with an anti-aircraft missile, stating its target to be the Prime Minister.[5] This claim was promptly dismissed as "bogus" by foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who confirmed that the accident occurred due to a technical fault, adding that full security arrangements had been in place and Taliban groups did not operate in the region. The Pakistani military also ruled out terrorism as a cause of the crash. Eyewitnesses and other diplomats present on the ground confirmed that the aircraft was not hit or shot down.[1][5][8][14][23]

The

Khurram Dastgir Khan, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Balighur Rehman to accompany the dead bodies with full honors on special flights to Norway, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia respectively.[8]

A day later, the injured and the bodies of the dead were transported by Pakistan Air Force aircraft back to the Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad. They were received by top civil and military officials at the airbase, and the dead bodies were accorded military honors and protocol. The Chief of Army Staff condoled with relatives and diplomats at the airbase.[24]

In a special Condolence Meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the incident, also attended by the diplomatic community in Islamabad, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recommended bestowing the civil award

Sitara-e-Pakistan on those who died. The Indonesian Ambassador, who received critical burns, was transported to Singapore via a Singaporean air ambulance. The Dutch ambassador was also flown back to his country.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "LIVE: Norway, Philippines ambassadors among 6 killed in Gilgit helicopter crash". The Express Tribune. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. ^ "At least 6 people die helicopter crash in Pakistan". DAWN. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  3. ^ Asad Hashim (8 May 2015). "Pakistan helicopter carrying foreign diplomats crashes". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  4. ^ Jon Boone (8 May 2015). "Pakistan helicopter crash kills foreign ambassadors". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d "Pakistan helicopter crash kills foreign envoys". bbc.com. BBC. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  6. ^ a b Munir Ahmed (8 May 2015). "Ambassadors killed in Pakistan helicopter crash". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  7. ^ "Wife of Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan killed in helicopter crash". AntaraNews. 8 May 2015.
  8. ^
    DAWN
    . 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  9. ^ Greg Botelho; Sophia Saifi; Saleem Mehsud (8 May 2015). "2 ambassadors killed in Pakistan helicopter crash - CNN.com". CNN.
  10. ^ "Pakistan mourns ambassadors, others killed in chopper crash". Yahoo News. 8 May 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Pakistan helicopter crash kills Norwegian, Philippine ambassadors". Reuters. 9 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Ambassadors of Philippines and Norway among 7 killed in Gilgit helicopter crash". The News International, Pakistan. 8 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Unsung heroes: Police first to reach MI-17 crash site". The Express Tribune. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  14. ^ a b c "Lebanese ambassador to Pakistan was not on doomed helicopter". 9 May 2015.
  15. ^ a b c d "Ambassadors of Philippines and Norway among 7 killed in Gilgit helicopter crash". The News International, Pakistan. 8 May 2015.
  16. ^ "RI ambassador to Pakistan dies in Singapore". thejakartapost.com. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Who Is Leif H. Larsen, Norway's Ambassador Killed in the Pakistan Helicopter Crash?". Bustle.com. 8 May 2015.
  18. ^ "MAE: Romania's ambassador to Pakistan, slightly injured in helicopter crash, did not need hospitalisation". agerpres.ro. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  19. ^ "South African HC says Gilgit crash was 'unfortunate incident' - PAKISTAN - geo.tv". geo.tv. 9 May 2015.
  20. ^ a b "No foul play: Gilgit helicopter crash was due to technical fault, says foreign secretary". The Express Tribune. 8 May 2015.
  21. ^ "Foreign Envoys Killed in Pakistan Copter Crash". VOA.
  22. ^ "Helicopter lost control moments before landing, says Air Chief - PAKISTAN - geo.tv". geo.tv. 9 May 2015.
  23. ^ "'Round, round, round, and there it hit the ground': Envoy recalls moment when chopper crashed". The Express Tribune. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  24. ^ "Civil, military leadership receive bodies of Gilgit crash victims at Nur Khan airbase". The Express Tribune. 9 May 2015.
  25. ^ "Naltar tragedy: Air ambulance carrying injured Indonesian envoy makes emergency landing in India". The Express Tribune. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.