A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people, including two crew members, crashed into the sea near Mayabunder in North and Middle Andaman district on Tuesday morning, prompting an emergency rescue operation in which all on board were rescued, officials said.
The plane plunged into the sea shortly before it was due to land after what authorities described as a suspected technical fault. All five passengers and two crew members were pulled from the water and taken to hospital for treatment.
Crash near Mayabunder after suspected technical snag
The accident happened around 9:30 am. Officials said the helicopter had taken off earlier in the morning as part of a scheduled inter-island route.
“The chopper took off from Sri Vijaya Puram around 8:45 am and crashed into the sea around 9:30 am. Preliminary investigation revealed that there was some technical snag and the pilot made an emergency landing in the sea,” a senior civil aviation official said.
Director of Civil Aviation Nitesh Rawat confirmed that all seven people were accounted for.
“There were a total of seven people on board, including the pilot. All are safe and we are yet to receive the pilot’s statement. All the injured persons are being treated at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Hospital in Mayabunder. We are trying to bring the injured people to Sri Vijaya Puram,” said Rawat.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched from Port Blair to assist with the aftermath of the incident.
The sequence of events before the sea trench
According to spokesman Pawan Hans, the helicopter was operating on several legs that morning.
“The helicopter took off from Port Blair at around 8.30am for Ranghat. At 9.10am it took off for Mayabunder and was supposed to land at 9.30am. But it crashed into the sea 300m from the runway.”
There were five passengers and two crew members on board. All have recovered and are safe,” the spokeswoman said.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the exact cause of the technical problem.
What are Pawan Hans Helicopters?
Pawan Hans Ltd is a central public sector undertaking headquartered in Noida and operates helicopter services across India, particularly in remote and island areas where fixed-wing aircraft operations are limited.
The company plays a key role in connecting remote regions like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offshore oil rigs and mountainous terrains. Her services are often used for inter-island transport, medical evacuations and government missions.
Tuesday’s incident is likely to renew scrutiny of operational safety standards in the difficult maritime and island environment, although authorities stressed that the pilot’s decision to ditch the plane appeared to have prevented serious casualties.
The investigation is ongoing and more details are expected once officials record the statement and examine the plane.
