A Pawan Hans helicopter crashed and sank in the Arabian Sea 80 km north-west off south Mumbai at 7.30 pm on Wednesday. However, the fate of two pilots who were on board the helicopter was not immediately known.
Soon after the crash, the Indian Navy launched search and rescue operations. Two Immediate Support Vessels ( ISVS T50 and T48) reached the area late on Wednesday night, while one destroyer, INS Mumbai, with integral helicopter was expected to reach the area post midnight.
"We have no official information yet as to the whereabouts of the two on board the mishap-hit helicopter," the Defence spokesperson added.
"As per the information available with us, the e Pawan Hans helicopter was carrying out night landing practice at the ONGC oil platforms at the Bombay High when the mishap took place. There were two pilots on board when it crashed and sank. There were no passengers on board the helicopter," Defence spokesperson Cdr Rahul Sinha told "The Pioneer" late in the night.
"The Navy is launching night-capable helicopter Seaking 'C ' in a short while from now, to augment the search operation. We have kept another helicopter on standy-by," Sinha said.
The Pawan Hans helicopter is part of the fleet of helicopters operated by the New Delhi-based Pawan Hans limited, a helicopter service company. The Pawan Hans' operations are based at Juhu Aerodrome at Vile Parle (west) in north-west Mumbai.
The firm provides services to Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) to its off-shore locations. This public sector company also provides services to various state governments in India, particularly in north-east India, island ferry services in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, service to the lakshdweep Administration for the last two and half decades in ferrying people from Islands to Kochi Intl airport and inter-island services.