A Dhruv ALH.
Bangalore: An indigenously developed army helicopter ALH ‘Rudra’ Mk IV today made an emergency landing on a agriculture field at Tataguppe village near Kaggalipura in Ramanagara district of Karnataka on Tuesday afternoon, reportedly due to a technical snag, and both the pilots on board escaped unhurt.
Sources said that the the army version of Advanced Light Helicopter, with combat capabilities, developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, had taken off from HAL airport in the city and made emergency landing in a farm land close to the city that had no crops grown on it, and both the pilots were safe.
‘Rudra’ is the Army variant of ALH developed by HAL and had taken off on a routine test sortie from HAL airport. Army and HAL officials rushed to the spot and the helicopter would soon be flown back to HAL airport close to the manufacturing facility of the HAL helicopter unit in the city, latest reports said. Further details are awaited.
The incident comes on the heals of the crash of Mirage fighter aircraft of the Indian army which crashed soon after the takeoff within the HAL Airport last week and both pilots on board killed. The combat aircraft was an upgraded version of the French made war plane.
