Status: Not Approved
Mumbai: In India’s third charter aircraft accident this year, a Pawan Hans helicopter carrying 7 persons ditched in shallow waters near Maya Bunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday morning. Unlike the 2 other fatal accidents involving non-scheduled operators, all passengers and crew in the Pawan Hans crash were safe. Over 12 hours before this accident, another crash occurred in Jharkhand in which an air ambulance operated by Redbird Airways crashed and killed all the 7 people onboard. Less than a month ago, on January 28, a Learjet aircraft operated by VSR Ventures crashed during landing at Baramati airport, killing Maharashtra’s then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and 4 others.
Apart from accidents involving non-scheduled operators, there was another accident involving a flying club, Redbird Aviation.
Investigation Underway Following Incident
Officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and Pawan Hans have arrived at the islands to commence an investigation into the recent incident. Some officials are expected to arrive by tomorrow. The AAIB has officially initiated its investigative process.