Pawan Hans helicopter ditched into the sea near Andaman with all 7 safe, a day after Jharkhand air ambulance crash killed seven, raising aviation safety concerns.
A spokesperson for Pawan Hans described the incident as a “short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.” (Photo: X/JohnWilbert93)
A helicopter operated by national carrier Pawan Hans made an emergency landing in the sea near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday morning, triggering fresh concerns over aviation safety just a day after a fatal air ambulance crash in Jharkhand claimed seven lives.
The helicopter took off from Port Blair around 9:30 am with seven people on board, including two crew members and five passengers. Soon after departure, the chopper encountered trouble while approaching Mayabunder and made a controlled ditching into the sea.
A spokesperson for Pawan Hans described the incident as a “short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”
"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 situation said the helicopter went into the water roughly 300 metres short of the runway while attempting to land. Rescue teams reached the spot quickly and safely evacuated everyone on board.
Authorities confirmed that all seven occupants escaped without injuries. The prompt rescue operation prevented what could have turned into a major tragedy, especially given that the helicopter had landed in open waters.
Operations at the airstrip were briefly affected as officials assessed the situation and ensured there was no fuel leakage or environmental damage.
The helicopter incident comes less than 24 hours after a deadly aviation accident in Jharkhand shocked the country. On Monday evening, an air ambulance flying from Ranchi to Delhi crashed in a forested area of Chatra district, killing all seven people on board.
The aircraft was operated by Redbird Airways and was carrying a critically injured patient along with pilots and medical staff. The crash site was located deep inside a forest, making rescue operations challenging.
The victims included two pilots, a doctor, a paramedic, the patient, and two attendants. Authorities later recovered all the bodies from the crash site.
In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the air ambulance lost contact shortly after establishing communication with Kolkata air traffic control.
"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 regulator said.
The DGCA has launched a detailed investigation into the crash, and a team from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has been sent to the site.
The two incidents, occurring on consecutive days, have raised questions about flight safety, especially for small aircraft and helicopters operating medical evacuation and regional routes. While the Andaman helicopter incident ended safely, the Jharkhand crash highlighted the risks involved in emergency aviation services.
Officials said authorities will closely review maintenance records, weather conditions, and operational procedures in both cases to prevent similar incidents in the future.
