Air force helicopter crashes in northern India, killing 7

USPA News - Seven service members aboard an Indian Air Force helicopter were killed Friday when the aircraft crashed in a field in northern India and burst into flames, the defense ministry said. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at about 4:57 p.m. local time on Friday when the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) belonging to the Indian Air Force crashed in a field in Ahirwa village, which is located about 188 kilometers (117 miles) northwest of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The defense ministry said the helicopter had taken off from the city of Bareilly at 3:53 p.m. local time and was en-route to Allahabad. The purpose of the flight was not revealed. "The pilot gave a mayday emergency call and soon after that there was a loss of contact on radar and on radio," the ministry said in a brief statement. Seven service members, including two pilots, were on board the aircraft, but none of them survived, a local police official said. Photos from the scene showed the helicopter was completely destroyed and on fire. There were no injuries on the ground. The cause of Friday`s accident was not immediately known. Earlier this year, on March 28, five service members were killed when a large Indian Air Force transport plane crashed in central India. The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft crashed about 72 miles (115 kilometers) west of Gwalior airbase in Madhya Pradesh state. There were no survivors.