Pawan Hans helicopter crashes into sea near Mayabunder; all seven rescued
Pawan Hans helicopter crashes into sea near Mayabunder; all seven rescued
A Pawan Hans helicopter with seven on board crash-landed into the sea near Mayabunder; all were rescued and taken to hospital as officials begin an inquiry.
A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people, including the crew, crash-landed into the sea after taking off from Mayabunder in North and Middle Andaman district on Tuesday morning, February 24, 2026. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. after the aircraft had departed from Sri Vijaya Puram about 8:45 a.m. A senior Civil Aviation official said the preliminary inquiry points to a technical snag and that the pilot executed a crash-landing on the sea. All seven on board were rescued and admitted to a hospital for observation; injured individuals were reported to be under treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Hospital in Mayabunder. An inquiry has been initiated, and the pilot’s statement is yet to be collected.
Officials said the helicopter had two crew members and five passengers on board when it went down. Civil Aviation authorities are awaiting the pilot’s account and reviewing onboard data as part of the probe. The people rescued were pulled from mid-sea and transported to safety with medical teams providing care.
Pawan Hans officials could not be reached for comments, but a Civil Aviation Director confirmed the numbers and stressed that all on board were safe, with those injured under treatment. The incident underscores the challenges of regional air travel in remote island regions and the importance of rapid emergency response.
Authorities are urging a thorough safety examination of the helicopter and related operations to prevent a recurrence, as investigations continue and more details are expected to emerge about the exact sequence of events leading to the crash-landing.
