Indian AH-64 Apache Makes Emergency Landing in Punjab, Fuels Wild Speculations.

The IAF AH-64 that performed the emergency landing. (Image credit: via Livefist).

Crew and Aircraft Safe After What Appears to be An Easy Touch Down in Farm Field.

An Indian Air Force AH-64E Apache attack helicopter made an emergency landing in a farm field in the Punjab region in India on Friday after what reports say was a, “technical snag”.

Indeed, a statement from the IAF said that the helicopter experienced a critical failure 1 hour into the flight that forced the aircrew to perform an emergency landing.

Video and stills of the aircraft appeared on social media immediately after it touched down in the farm field to the interest of a number of local passers-by. One social media observer on the Military Armed Forces Facebook group suggested that the reason for the unscheduled rural landing might be due to an exhaust intake cover not being removed prior to take-off, this was speculation from another post copied from the Indian Army News Webboard. Video shared in that post showed that the cover seen in some of the photos may actually have been placed by crewmembers after the landing.

However, it seems unlikely that the helicopter might have flown with an exhaust cover that appears to be in pristine conditions in the photographs posted online.

This photo posted on Facebook of the Indian AH-64E after an emergency landing in a field in shows the right/rear intake cover in place, this caused some social media observers to suggest the aircraft was forced to land because the exhaust cover had not been removed. This is not confirmed, and the intake cover may have been placed on the aircraft by crews after it touched down in the field. (Photo: via Facebook)

The AH-64E Apache is a new addition to the Indian Armed Forces having been delivered in early September 2019. The aircraft are distinctive because of their unusual grey color scheme and Indian Air Force roundels.

The Indian Air Force took delivery of their first eight Boeing AH-64E helicopters in July and August of 2019 at Hindon Air Force Station (AFS) in Ghaziabad outside New Delhi, India. The official handover of the first Boeing AH-64E took place in May, 2019 at Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona facility according to reports from Boeing and in the Asia-Pacific edition of The Diplomat.

Photo of the Indian AH-64E taken in a field in India after an emergency landing today. (Photo: via Facebook)

India’s AH-64Es are attached to the Indian Air Force 125 Helicopter Squadron, known as “The Gladiators” at Pathankot Air Force Station. These aircraft replaced previous Mi-25 and Mi-35 gunship helicopters. A second AH-64E squadron is planned for deployment at Jorhat air base in Assam in northeastern India near the Indo-Chinese border. Each squadron will consist of ten helicopter gunships with two Ah-64Es held in reserve.

The Boeing AH-64E is a well-known, combat proven, twin engine attack helicopter in service with sixteen countries including the U.S., U.K., India and many others.

H/T to Giuliano Ranieri for the head-up



About Tom Demerly
Tom Demerly is a feature writer, journalist, photographer and editorialist who has written articles that are published around the world on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside magazine, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russia’s government media outlet Sputnik, and many other publications. Demerly studied journalism at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. Tom Demerly served in an intelligence gathering unit as a member of the U.S. Army and Michigan National Guard. His military experience includes being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company “F”, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). Demerly is an experienced parachutist, holds advanced SCUBA certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents and has flown several types of light aircraft.
About David Cenciotti
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.