Bengaluru bids goodbye to one of its finest fliers

Bengaluru mourned the death of one its finest flying men when Wing Cdr Vikas Jetley, 43, of the IAF's Sarang aerobatic team passed away in Delhi on January 11 after being in a coma for four long years. He is survived by his wife Shalini and two children.
The Advanced Light Helicopter, which Vikas Sarang piloted crashed at Yelahanka Air Force Station five days prior to the 2007 Aero India Show. His co-pilot Sqn Ldr Priye Sharma died on the spot. Vikas Jetley suffered serious head injuries and slipped into a coma from which he never recovered.
He was treated at the Command Hospital in Bengaluru for two-and-a-half years and then shifted to the Air Force Hospital, Hindon.
The helicopter piloted by Vikas Jetley was on a routine practice flight on February 2, 2007 when it performed a hard left turn manoeuvre at low altitude and crashed. Pilots and engineers who witnessed the crash can never forget it.
“When the crash happened I was in the city and it came as a shock to us all.
All ALH operations were suspended after the crash for many months. It is a sad day when we lose one pilot and see another in a coma,” recalled an engineer at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
14/01/11 Deccan Chronicle

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2010, Safety Jan 2011