Pawan Hans Helicopter Ditches into Sea Off Andamans; All Seven On Board Rescued Safely
Port Blair/Mayabunder: A helicopter operated by Pawan Hans Ltd made an emergency landing in the sea off the coast of the North and Middle Andaman district on Tuesday morning shortly after takeoff.
All seven individuals on board — including two crew members and an infant — were safely rescued in a swift multi-agency response.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:30 am when the helicopter, en route from Rangat to Mayabunder, went down about 300 metres short of the runway before its scheduled landing.
Sequence of Events
According to officials, the aircraft had departed from Port Blair around 8:30 am for Rangat. After halting there, it resumed its journey toward Mayabunder at about 9:10 am and was expected to land by 9:30 am.
However, during its approach, the pilot reportedly detected a technical malfunction and executed a controlled ditching into the sea.
A senior Civil Aviation official cited by PTI said preliminary findings point to a possible mechanical snag that prompted the pilot to undertake a precautionary crash-landing on water.
Swift Rescue Operation
Rescue teams, along with local police and the Indian Coast Guard, responded immediately.
North and Middle Andaman Deputy Commissioner Sushant Padha confirmed that all seven occupants were retrieved from mid-sea without delay and transported to the hospital for medical evaluation.
Civil Aviation Director Nitesh Rawat stated that the injured were admitted to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Hospital in Mayabunder.
Efforts are underway to shift some of them to Sri Vijaya Puram for further treatment if required.
“All seven persons, including the pilot, are safe. The pilot’s statement will be recorded as part of the investigation,” Rawat said.
Inquiry Ordered
Authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the precise cause of the incident.
Aviation experts will examine technical records, maintenance logs, and pilot communication to ascertain what led to the emergency sea landing.
Pawan Hans, a central public sector enterprise headquartered in Noida, operates helicopter services across remote and strategic regions, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Second Aviation Incident in Two Days
The near-tragedy in the Andamans comes just a day after a devastating air accident in Jharkhand, where an air ambulance crashed near Simaria in Chatra district, killing all seven people on board.
That aircraft had been flying from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down.
While Tuesday’s incident ended without loss of life, it has once again raised questions about aviation safety and technical reliability in small aircraft operations.
