Wed Oct 02 07:57:38 UTC 2024: ## Private Helicopter Crashes in Bavdhan, Pune; Three Killed
**Pune, Maharashtra:** A private helicopter crashed in the Bavdhan area of Pune on Thursday morning, killing three people. The victims have been identified as Pritam Bhardwaj, Girish Pillai, and Paramjeet Singh.
According to the police, the helicopter took off from the helipad at Oxford Golf Club and crashed shortly after. The cause of the crash is suspected to be dense fog prevailing in the Pune area. The helicopter belonged to Heritage Aviation Company, and it was reportedly en route to Juhu, Mumbai, when the accident occurred.
The helicopter was scheduled to be used by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Sunil Tatkare for travel to Sutarwadi in Raigad district today. Mr. Tatkare had used the same helicopter to travel to Parali from Pune on Monday and had returned to Pune using the same aircraft. He then left the helicopter in Pune and travelled to Mumbai.
“The helicopter took off at 7:30 am and crashed within five minutes,” said Shashikant Mahavarkar, Joint Commissioner of Police, Pimpri Chinchwad. “Thick fog is suspected to be the reason behind the crash, and the police are investigating further.”
Four fire tenders from Pune and PMRDA reached the spot after the crash, which occurred near KK Construction Hill in Bavdhan.
While the incident has raised concerns about the safety of helicopters, experts note that safety standards have improved over the years. However, helicopters are statistically more prone to accidents than airplanes.
“Helicopters have a 35% higher risk of accidents than airplanes,” an aviation expert stated. “For every 100,000 hours of flight, there are 9.84% accidents in helicopters, as compared to 7.26% in airplanes.”
The crash is currently under investigation by the police.
First Piper 