Second Aviation Incident in Under 12 Hours Raises Safety Alarms
In a concerning development for Indian aviation, a Pawan Hans helicopter was forced to ditch in the sea near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday. This incident occurred a mere 12 hours after a separate, fatal air ambulance crash in Jharkhand claimed seven lives, casting a stark spotlight on aviation safety protocols across the nation.
Details of the Andaman Helicopter Incident
The aircraft involved was a Eurocopter Dauphin model S365, bearing the registration VT-PHY and call sign PH2. It was operating a scheduled flight sector within the island chain. According to sources within Pawan Hans, the helicopter took off from Rangat at 9:11 AM, destined for Mayabunder, and was maintaining a cruising altitude of 2,500 feet.
The helicopter reportedly ditched approximately 300 meters from the Mayabunder helipad, near the area known as Dhobidera. On board were seven individuals: two pilots and five passengers. The pilot-in-command was identified as Captain Anil Janu, with Captain T.P.S. Gulia serving as the co-pilot.
In a significant relief, all seven occupants were successfully rescued from the sea and emerged from the ordeal without any fatalities. A formal statement from Pawan Hans regarding the cause of the incident is currently awaited.
A Grim Context: Recent Aviation Tragedies
This latest incident arrives within a troubling context of recent aviation accidents in India. Just the evening prior, on Monday, a Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance crashed less than thirty minutes after take-off. That tragedy resulted in the deaths of all seven people on board, including two pilots.
Furthermore, this helicopter ditching follows closely on the heels of the January 28 crash of a VSR Ventures aircraft in Baramati, Maharashtra. That accident proved fatal, claiming the lives of five individuals, including the state's then deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar.
The rapid succession of these incidents—a fatal crash in Jharkhand, followed by this non-fatal ditching in the Andamans—is raising fresh and urgent concerns among regulators, industry experts, and the traveling public regarding the overarching standards of aviation safety and maintenance in the country.
Authorities are expected to launch a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the Pawan Hans helicopter's emergency sea landing, with findings likely to influence future safety directives and operational procedures for regional and charter flights across India's diverse and challenging terrains.
