Lieutenant Colonel Pramod Keshav Pande of the Army Aviation Corps made the supreme sacrifice on 29 October 2004 when a Cheetah helicopter crashed during a reconnaissance mission near Mana Pass in Uttarakhand.
A Career in Army Aviation
Pande had initially been commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery before moving to Army Aviation and qualifying as a helicopter pilot. He later served with 23 (Independent) Reconnaissance and Observation Flight, an aviation unit tasked with reconnaissance and observation duties in demanding operational environments.
The Reconnaissance Mission
On the morning of 29 October 2004, a Cheetah helicopter took off from Bareilly on a mission to reconnoitre forward border posts. Major General Devender Pal Singh, the General Officer Commanding of 6 Mountain Division, was aboard the aircraft. Lieutenant Colonel Pande was the pilot, while Captain Arjun Sardana served as co-pilot.
The helicopter subsequently lost contact with air traffic control. Search teams were dispatched, and the wreckage was eventually located near Mana Pass, close to the India-China border in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
All three Army personnel aboard the helicopter made the supreme sacrifice.
Remembering His Service
Pande’s service took him from the artillery to the specialised work of Army Aviation, where pilots undertake reconnaissance and other missions in demanding conditions. His final flight was part of a mission to inspect forward positions along a sensitive mountainous frontier.
Lieutenant Colonel Pramod Keshav Pande is remembered for his professionalism and dedication to duty. His name remains associated with the Army Aviation personnel who lost their lives while carrying out a mission in service of the nation.
