SRINAGAR, May 23: An army pilot was killed and another injured on Wednesday when the helicopter they were flying crashed on the Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, during a routine supply sortie, the army spokesman said.

“A Cheetah helicopter deployed on an Air Maintenance Mission in Siachen Glacier crashed on Wednesday around 11.15 A.M.,” Lt Col JS Brar, Defence Spokesperson based in Srinagar, said.

“Unfortunately the pilot died and the co-pilot has been injured and was evacuated to Chandigarh. An inquiry has been ordered to probe the reasons of the crash.”

The two officer-pilots were trying to land the chopper at the Bhim post helipad in northern glacier area at 11.15 a.m. when they lost control of the flying machine and it crashed 400 metres short of the helipad, an officer in the army headquarters said.

He, however, refused to identify the two pilots immediately.