Wing Commander Vikram Upadhyay of the Indian Air Force made the supreme sacrifice on 6 October 2017 in Arunachal Pradesh.
He was serving as the captain of an Mi-17 V5 helicopter assigned to an air maintenance mission supporting forward Army posts in the high-altitude terrain of the Tawang sector.
The helicopter had taken off from the Khirmu helipad and was carrying supplies towards a forward post near the Yangste area. It was undertaking its second routine air maintenance sortie of the day.
The aircraft crashed near the dropping zone at around 0659 hours and caught fire. Seven defence personnel were aboard, including five Indian Air Force personnel and two Army soldiers.
Wing Commander Vikram Upadhyay, who was commanding the aircraft, sustained fatal injuries in the crash and made the supreme sacrifice along with the other personnel on board.
His service reflected the demanding responsibilities undertaken by IAF aircrew who support troops deployed in remote and difficult terrain.
The Honour Post honours Wing Commander Vikram Upadhyay and pays tribute to his supreme sacrifice.
