A helicopter operated by Pawan Hans ditched into the sea on Tuesday morning shortly before landing near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
According to the company spokesperson, the aircraft had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All seven individuals were rescued safely, and no injuries were reported.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 am. Officials familiar with the development said the helicopter went down nearly 300 metres short of the runway while attempting to land.
Passengers and Crew Reported Safe
The national helicopter carrier described the occurrence as a “short landing incident.” Rescue operations were initiated immediately, ensuring the safe evacuation of all occupants.
Authorities are expected to conduct a detailed technical assessment to determine the cause of the emergency landing. Further updates are awaited.
Separate Air Ambulance Crash in Jharkhand
The development comes a day after a fatal aviation accident in Chatra, where a Redbird Airways Pvt Ltd air ambulance crashed on Monday evening.
The aircraft, identified as a Beechcraft C90, was operating a medical evacuation flight from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in a forested area under Bariatu Panchayat in Simaria.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that the aircraft (VT-AJV) departed Ranchi at 19:11 IST. It established contact with Kolkata Air Traffic Control at 19:34 IST before losing communication and radar contact roughly 100 nautical miles southeast of Varanasi.
All seven people on board the air ambulance were killed in the crash.
Investigation Underway
While all occupants survived the Pawan Hans helicopter incident, aviation authorities are expected to review operational and safety protocols as part of standard procedure. Meanwhile, the DGCA continues its investigation into the Jharkhand air ambulance crash.
