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Pawan Hans Helicopter Ditches Near Port Blair; All 7 On Board Rescued Safely

A Pawan Hans helicopter was forced to ditch into the sea shortly after taking off from Port Blair while approaching to land at Mayabunder. All seven people on board, including two crew and five passengers, were successfully rescued without any injuries. The incident comes just a day after a separate, fatal air ambulance crash in Jharkhand's Chatra district claimed seven lives. Authorities have launched investigations into both aviation incidents.

Key Points: Pawan Hans Helicopter Emergency Ditching Near Port Blair, All Safe

  • Helicopter ditched near Mayabunder
  • All 7 occupants rescued safely
  • Incident occurred during landing approach
  • Follows fatal air ambulance crash in Jharkhand
  • Investigations underway for both incidents
2 min read

Pawan Hans helicopter crashes into sea near Port Blair; all on board safe

A Pawan Hans helicopter made an emergency ditching into the sea near Port Blair. All seven on board were rescued safely with no injuries reported.

"All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported. - Pawan Hans Spokesperson"

Port Blair, Feb 24

A Pawan Hans helicopter made an emergency ditching into the sea on Tuesday morning shortly after taking off from Port Blair, a town located in the northern part of Middle Andaman Island. The aircraft was carrying seven people at the time of the incident.

All those on board the helicopter, which belongs to the national helicopter carrier, were rescued safely, and no injuries were reported.

According to a spokesperson for Pawan Hans, the incident occurred at around 9.30 a.m. The spokesperson described it as a "short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands", indicating that the aircraft encountered difficulty while attempting to land.

"The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported," the spokesperson said.

Officials familiar with the developments said the helicopter went down into the sea approximately 300 metres short of the runway as it was approaching Mayabunder for landing.

The incident took place at around 9.30 a.m., shortly before the aircraft was scheduled to touch down.

The development comes just a day after a fatal air crash in Jharkhand claimed seven lives. An air ambulance aircraft crashed in Chatra district on Monday evening, killing all seven people on board.

The Beechcraft C90 air ambulance, operated by Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd, had departed from Ranchi and was headed to Delhi when it went down in the Bariatu Panchayat area of Simaria, a forested region in the district.

The deceased have been identified as Captain Vivek Vikas Bhagat, Captain Savrajdeep Singh, Dr Vikas Kumar Gupta, Sachin Kumar Mishra, Sanjay Kumar, Archana Devi and Dhuru Kumar.

In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the Beechcraft C90 aircraft, bearing registration VT-AJV, was operating a medical evacuation flight on the Ranchi-Delhi route at the time of the crash. The aircraft came down in Kasaria Panchayat of Chatra district.

"The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi," the statement said.

Authorities are investigating both incidents.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Two major aviation incidents in two days is very concerning. While it's fantastic that everyone survived this ditching, we need a thorough, transparent investigation. What caused the "short landing"? Was it mechanical or human error? The DGCA must be proactive.
A
Arjun K
The pilots did an amazing job managing to ditch the helicopter near the shore. 300m short of the runway into the sea could have been much worse. Hats off to their skill and calm under pressure. Jai Hind!
P
Priyanka N
My heart goes out to the families of those lost in Jharkhand. Such a stark contrast in outcomes. It makes you wonder about the maintenance schedules and age of these smaller aircraft used for regional and emergency services. Time for a nationwide safety audit?
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Vikram M
Pawan Hans serves some of the most remote and challenging terrains in India, like the Andamans. While this incident ended well, the government should invest more in modernizing this fleet and improving coastal infrastructure for emergencies. Safety can't be compromised.
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David E
A "short landing incident" is a very diplomatic way to put it. Let's call it what it likely was: a crash landing. I'm glad for the positive outcome, but the terminology feels like it's softening the seriousness. Accurate reporting is key for accountability.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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