MUMBAI: Just over 12 hours after an air ambulance crash killed seven folks in Jharkhand, one other aviation accident was reported on Tuesday, this time involving a helicopter within the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In a aid, all seven individuals on board escaped with out fatalities after the plane ditched within the sea close to Mayabunder. The incident comes weeks after the January 28 crash of a VSR Ventures plane in Baramati that killed Maharashtra’s then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and 4 others, elevating contemporary issues over aviation security. According to sources, a Pawan Hans helicopter ditched shortly after take-off from Rangat, about 170 km from Port Blair. The plane, a Eurocopter Dauphin (S365) bearing registration VT-PHY and name signal PH2, was working a scheduled sector within the islands. A Pawan Hans supply mentioned the helicopter took off from Rangat at 9.11 am for Mayabunder and was sustaining an altitude of two,500 toes. It was carrying seven individuals on board — two pilots and 5 passengers. The pilot-in-command was Capt Anil Janu and the co-pilot was Capt T P S Gulia, the supply mentioned. The helicopter reportedly ditched about 300 metres from the Mayabunder helipad close to Dhobidera. All occupants have been rescued safely. On Monday night, a Ranchi-Delhi air ambulance crashed lower than half an hour after take-off, killing all seven on board, together with two pilots and 5 others, as reported earlier. A press release from Pawan Hans is awaited.
