Pilot, 2 engineers dead after helicopter crashes in Pune

A private helicopter, going to pick up NCP leader Sunil Tatkare from Maharashtra's Beed to Mumbai, crashed in Pune just five minutes after take-off, killing the pilot and two engineers onboard.

In Short

• Preliminary report suggests chopper crashed due to low visibility
• Helicopter crashed due to low visibility, a preliminary report suggests
• Helicopter was heading to Maharashtra's Beed when it crashed

At least three people were killed after a helicopter crashed in Maharashtra's Pune district and caught fire on Wednesday morning, police said.

The helicopter, belonging to Delhi-based Heritage Aviation, took off from Pune's Oxford Golf Course helipad and was heading to Maharashtra's Beed to pick up NCP leader Sunil Tatkare to Mumbai when the incident took place.

The helicopter crashed just five minutes after take off, the police said, adding that a preliminary report suggested low visibility as a possible reason behind the crash.

"The helicopter took off at 7.30 am from Oxford Golf Course. The accident occurred just five minutes later due to heavy fog," a senior official of the Pune Police said.

Earlier in August this year, in a similar incident, a private helicopter crashed near Paud village in Pune while en route to Hyderabad from Mumbai's Juhu, injuring four people onboard.

The helicopter, an AW 139 model, was carrying four passengers when the incident occurred.

The injured were identified as Anand Captain, who was hospitalised in a nearby facility, while three other people, identified as Deer Bhatia, Amardeep Singh, and SP Ram, were reported to be in stable condition.

The helicopter belonged to a private aviation company named Global Vectra.