Arun Sharma
Tribune News Service
Ropar, February 13

An Army Chetak helicopter on Thursday made an emergency landing at a village in Punjab’s Ropar district due to a technical snag, a senior police official said here.

The helicopter landed on a field in Ban Majra village. All three crew members were safe.

Army sources said that the helicopter, belonging to Army Aviation Corps, was on a routine sortie when the pilot suspected a possible leak in the fuel supply and carried out a controlled landing in the fields after clearance from air traffic control.

Residents said the chopper landed around 10 am, escaping power supply lines passing through the fields.

Initially villagers presumed that it was a helicopter hired by someone for a marriage ceremony at a nearby banquet hall.

Later, another helicopter carrying a team of technical experts reached the spot and after three hours both the copters took off at 1.30 pm.

Ropar SSP Swapan Sharma said district police was informed about the incident around 11.30 am following which the area was cordoned off by local police.