Pakistan army Mi-17 helicopter crashes near Muzaffarabad, crew killed

A Pakistan Army Aviation Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Muzaffarabad on Wednesday shortly after take-off due to a technical fault, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).The military said all personnel on board were killed in the crash, with no survivors reported.The Mi-17 is a Russian-made medium-lift transport helicopter developed by the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant as an upgraded version of the Mi-8.The helicopter can carry up to 30 soldiers, 12 stretchers or around 4,000kg of cargo, while an external sling allows it to lift loads of up to three tonnes. It is powered by two Klimov TV3-117 engines and can reach speeds of up to 250km/h.In September last year, five Pakistan Army personnel were killed when an Mi-17 helicopter crashed near Hudor village in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Diamer district after developing a technical fault during a routine training flight. According to the military’s media wing, the helicopter went down about 12 kilometres from Thakdas Cantonment, killing all those on board.The victims were identified as pilot Major Atif, co-pilot Major Faisal, flight engineer Naib Subedar Maqbool, and crew chiefs Havaldar Jahangir and Naik Amir. Local police earlier said the helicopter was carrying out a test landing at a proposed helipad when it crashed.