Sri Vijaya Puram, February 24 A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people, including two crew members, crashed into the sea just 300 metres away from its scheduled landing at the Mayabunder helipad in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Tuesday, and all of them were rescued, officials said.
The crash occurred around 9.30 am, after the helicopter took off from Rangat in the North and Middle Andaman district, they said.
All five passengers and the two crew members, rescued from mid-sea, were admitted to a hospital, one of the officials said.
"The helicopter crashed into the sea around 9.30 am. An initial investigation revealed that there was some technical issue, and the pilot made a crash landing in the sea," a senior Civil Aviation official said.
An investigation has been initiated, he said.
"On February 24, 2026, PHL Dauphin N3 helicopter (VT PHY) took off from Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) at around 8.30 am for a passenger flight from Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) to Rangat and further to Mayabunder.
"The helicopter landed at Rangat helipad around 9.05 am. It further took off from Rangat to Mayabunder at around 9.10 am. The helicopter crashed about 300 metres short of the Mayabunder helipad in the sea (shallow water) at around 9.30 am," Pawan Hans Ltd, a central public sector undertaking based in Noida, said on X.
The helicopter operator also said all passengers and the crew members have been "safely retrieved", and "PHL is actively coordinating with all respective agencies".
A district official said a team from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to visit the site to investigate the helicopter crash.
"The helicopter wreckage is still in the sea. It was left there for investigations by the local administration and the DGCA. The statements of both pilots have been taken by the police, and further inquiry is going on," he said.
North and Middle Andaman Deputy Commissioner Sushant Padha said the rescue team, the police, forest personnel and the Coast Guard acted promptly and rescued all seven people.
"Those who were travelling in the helicopter are identified as Rajita Devi and her child Shivansh, Kamala Chandra Das, Shipra Saha, Nambi Amma, and two pilots, Captain Anil Janu and Captain TPS Gulia. All are safe,” the DC said.
One of the seven people was referred to GB Panth Hospital in Sri Vijaya Puram for a CT scan as she suffered head injuries, another district official said.
"Injured passenger Rajita Devi was taken to Sri Vijaya Puram in a helicopter from Mayabunder around 3.20 pm for treatment. Her child is perfectly fine," he said.
Civil Aviation Director Nitesh Rawat had, earlier in the day, said all injured persons were undergoing treatment at Dr Rajendra Prasad Hospital in Mayabunder.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands DGP Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal commended the Police Marine Force for their quick response and rescuing all the passengers and the crew members from mid-sea.
“We are assessing the ground situation, and our priority is to provide assistance to the injured ones,” he said.
