Seven killed when helicopter fell out of sky after parachute became tangled in rotor blades

Seven people died in a horror helicopter crash when a parachute became tangled in the rotor blades.

The chopper can be seen dropping like a stone from the sky after a piece of cloth gets caught in the rotor.

The Indian Air Force's Mi-17-V5 hit the ground killing five soldiers and two officers, with another man critically wounded.

The helicopter had been on a mission to drop fuel to a remote Army base near Yangste, China, when the accident took place.

Jerrycans filled with fuel were filmed being thrown to the floor attached to makeshift parachutes.

But one of the parachutes had not been lashed correctly and came apart from its can, throwing the material up into the helicopter rotor and causing the pilot to lose control.

India Today said the video has been authenticated by senior Ministry of Defence officials and a full investigation has been launched.

The inquiry has also revealed that the jerrycans shouldn't have been on the helicopter in the first place.

A senior helicopter pilot told the Indian newspaper: "There are clear standard operating procedures on how supplies including fuel are air dropped.

"The pilots followed the drill, including trying to hold the helicopter steady after losing the tail rotor.

"One needs to look at how these jerrycans were loaded on to the aircraft.

"Those who loaded the jerrycans into the helicopters should perhaps be asked."

The Russian made Mi17-V5 helicopters were introduced by the Indian Air Force in 2013 and are considered to state-of-the-art.