Pawan Hans Helicopter Ditches in Andaman Sea, All On Board Safely Retrieved
In India's third charter aircraft incident this year, a Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven individuals made an emergency landing in shallow waters near Maya Bunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday morning. Unlike two other recent fatal accidents involving non-scheduled operators, all passengers and crew members in this Pawan Hans crash emerged unharmed and were safely rescued from the scene.
Details of the Helicopter Incident
According to an official statement from Pawan Hans, the Dauphin N3 helicopter, registered as VT-PHY, departed from Sri Vijaya Puram in Port Blair at approximately 8:30 AM. Its scheduled route included a stop at Rangat before proceeding to Maya Bunder. The aircraft successfully landed at Rangat around 9:05 AM and took off again at about 9:10 AM for the final leg of its journey.
The company reported that the helicopter ditched approximately 300 meters short of the Maya Bunder helipad in shallow sea water at around 9:30 AM. On board were five passengers and two crew members. Pawan Hans confirmed that all individuals were safely retrieved from the aircraft, with no reported injuries.
Investigation Launched into the Crash
An aviation source disclosed that officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and Pawan Hans have arrived at the islands to commence an inquiry into the incident. Some additional investigators are expected to reach the location by tomorrow. The AAIB has formally initiated a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the ditching.
The aircraft involved was a Eurocopter Dauphin model S365, operating under the call sign PH2. It was commanded by Captain Anil Janu, with Captain T.P.S. Gulia serving as co-pilot. Sources indicated that the helicopter maintained an altitude of 2,500 feet after departing from Rangat for Mayabunder. The last known position before ditching was near Dhobidera, close to Mayabunder.
Context of Recent Aviation Accidents in India
This incident occurs against a backdrop of several other aviation accidents in India this year, highlighting concerns over safety in non-scheduled operations:
- Less than 12 hours prior to the Pawan Hans ditching, an air ambulance operated by Redbird Airways crashed in Jharkhand, resulting in the tragic deaths of all seven people on board.
- On January 28, a Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures crashed during landing at Baramati airport, killing Maharashtra's then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others.
- Earlier this month, a Cessna 172 belonging to Redbird Aviation, a flying training organization, crash-landed in Vijayapura after running out of fuel. The instructor and trainee pilots sustained serious injuries but survived.
These incidents underscore a pattern of accidents involving non-scheduled operators and flying clubs in India, raising questions about regulatory oversight and operational safety protocols. The safe outcome of the Pawan Hans ditching stands in stark contrast to the fatalities in the other recent crashes, offering a rare positive note in an otherwise troubling series of events.
