Punjab: IAF's Chinook helicopter makes emergency landing in Barnala

Due to a “technical snag” that occurred on Sunday near Barnala in Punjab, an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter had to make a precautionary landing, according to authorities.

According to air force officials, the crew and the helicopter are safe after landing in an open field during a routine flying sortie. A rescue team has also arrived at the scene. What caused the “technical snag” is a mystery that the Indian Air Force will investigate.

“An IAF Chinook helicopter made a safe, cautious landing close to Barnala, Punjab, during a regular flying sortie. The recovery team has reached the site,” the IAF said in a statement on social media platform X.

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The US Army stopped its fleet of Chinook helicopters in 2022 due to engine fires. Salil Hupte, the head of Boeing’s operations in India, stated that “there is no impact on the helicopter operated by the Indian forces” and that the Indian Air Force’s Chinooks are operating without any issues.

The Indian Air Force has asked Boeing, the maker of the Chinook, for information regarding the causes of the US Army’s complete Chinook helicopter fleet’s grounding.

The Indian fleet of Chinook choppers is based out of Chandigarh for operations in the north while another unit is located in Assam for taking care of the northeastern areas.

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The Ch47 Chinook Helicopters are heavy-lift helicopters of the Indian Air Force for strategic airlift and humanitarian efforts. The choppers were formally inducted into the force in 2019 at the Indian Air Force station in Chandigarh and the remaining 11 were delivered in 2020.

The Chinook is a recommended option for large freight and troop transport at high altitudes because to its tandem-rotor configuration. In underslung operations, it may carry artillery, tanks, and relief supplies.

The Chinook’s twin rotor design offers better performance in the wind, maximum agility, simplicity of loading and unloading, and enhanced stability and control. To negate the yawing of the helicopter and balance out the torque produced by a blade, the blades revolve in opposite directions. A tail rotor is employed in single-rotor helicopters to counteract torque.

If the torque is not neutralized, the chopper will spin on its vertical axis and crash.

According to Boeing, this particular helicopter is the only one in its class with a service ceiling of 20,000 feet.