New Delhi June 3

An Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot rescued a team of armed forces from an altitude of 17,000 feet by hovering his copter and winching up two persons. The operation was carried out in north Sikkim on May 8. Sources confirmed that such an operation is rare.

The pilot, flying an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), did not have enough space to land due to fresh snow, and the rescue window due to prevailing weather condition was small.

It all started on May 7 when an IAF Mi17V5 crashed in North Sikkim. All six on board, including the two pilots, survived miraculously. On May 8 morning, two ‘Cheetah’ copters landed nearby and evacuated them, barring two, who were winched up by an 2.5-tonne ALH that couldn’t land due to fresh snow. — TNS