Leh: Three senior Indian Army officers had a narrow escape after an Army helicopter crashed in the mountainous Tangste region near Leh in Ladakh on May 20.
According to Army officials, the incident involved a single-engine ‘Cheetah’ helicopter carrying a Lieutenant Colonel, two Major-rank officers and Major General Sachin Mehta, General Officer Commanding of the 3 Infantry Division.
The helicopter was being piloted by a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major at the time of the crash. Officials confirmed that all three officers on board survived the accident with only minor injuries.
Rescue operations were launched immediately after the crash, and the injured officers were safely evacuated from the spot.
Meanwhile, a selfie reportedly clicked by Major General Sachin Mehta after the accident has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.
3 army officers had a narrow escape after their Cheetah helicopter crashed in the mountainous Tangste region near Leh.
A Lt Col and a major were piloting the single-engine chopper and their passenger was Maj Gen Sachin Mehta, General Officer Commanding of 3 Infantry Division pic.twitter.com/W90I1OTfkP
— Defence Squad (@Defence_Squad_) May 23, 2026
The exact cause of the crash is yet to be determined. Army authorities have ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate whether technical issues or adverse weather conditions led to the incident.
The incident was also shared on social media platform X by Indian Armed Forces Defence Squad, which stated that the officers narrowly escaped after the helicopter crashed in the mountainous region near Leh.
A Major General, a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major survived a helicopter crash in Ladakh today.
All three walked out of the wreckage on their own.
Officials called it nothing short of a miracle 🇮🇳
The Indian Army Cheetah went down in the high altitude Tangste region near Leh… pic.twitter.com/oeRSmrsIwq
— Military Observer (@TheMilObserverr) May 23, 2026
