Mumbai, February 24: Seven people were successfully rescued on Tuesday, February 24, after a Pawan Hans helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing in the sea near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The aircraft, which had five passengers and two pilots on board, reportedly encountered technical difficulties shortly after taking off from the Port Blair helipad. All occupants were safely evacuated from the water in a coordinated rescue effort involving local authorities and the Indian Coast Guard.

The incident occurred during a routine inter-island flight connecting Mayabunder to Port Blair. According to preliminary reports, the pilots detected a mechanical anomaly minutes into the flight and initiated an emergency "ditching" procedure, a controlled landing on water. The helicopter remained buoyant long enough for those on board to deploy life rafts and exit the cabin before the aircraft partially submerged. Medical Charter Plane Crash in Jharkhand: Air Ambulance From Ranchi to Delhi With 7 Onboard Crashed in Chatra, Rescue Team at Location, Says DGCA (Watch Video).

Pawan Hans Helicopter Crash

Pawan Hans Helicopter Crash: Rescue Operation and Status of Passengers

Following the emergency signal, a swift rescue operation was launched. Local fishing vessels near the Mayabunder coast were the first to reach the site, followed shortly by a specialized rescue team. All seven individuals were brought back to the shore and transported to a local medical facility for observation.

Medical officials confirmed that while the passengers and crew were in a state of shock, no major injuries were reported. "The pilots showed remarkable composure in executing the sea landing, which significantly increased the chances of survival for everyone on board," a senior official from the Andaman administration stated. Tejas Jet Crash: IAF Aircraft Lost in Accident, Pilot Ejects Safely During Routine Training.

Technical Malfunction Under Investigation

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been notified of the incident and is expected to launch a formal probe into the cause of the technical failure. Investigators will focus on maintenance records and the engine performance of the specific Dauphin series helicopter involved in the ditching.

Pawan Hans, the state-owned helicopter service provider, has temporarily suspended operations on the Mayabunder route pending a preliminary safety audit. The wreckage of the helicopter remains in the water, and efforts are underway to salvage the flight data recorder to understand the sequence of events leading up to the malfunction.

Helicopter services are a lifeline for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, providing essential connectivity between remote islands where boat travel can take several hours. Pawan Hans has been the primary operator for these subsidized flights, which are used for medical evacuations, government transit, and tourism.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 24, 2026 01:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).