Andaman and Nicobar Island | 24 Feb 2026

A helicopter operated by national chopper carrier Pawan Hans crashed into the sea on Tuesday morning while attempting to land near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with seven people on board, including two crew members and five passengers. The incident occurred around 9:30 am.

Confirming the details, a Pawan Hans spokesperson said the helicopter experienced a “short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”. He added, "The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported." Officials said the aircraft ditched into the sea about 300 metres short of the runway while approaching for landing.

The incident came just a day after a deadly aviation accident in Jharkhand, where an air ambulance crashed in Chatra district, killing all seven people on board. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, was flying from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in a forested area of Simaria on Monday evening.

In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the air ambulance had taken off at 7:11 pm and later lost contact after establishing communication with Kolkata air traffic control. "The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi," the DGCA said. Authorities are continuing investigations into both Pawan Hans Helicopter Crashes into Sea Near Mayabunder, All Seven Onboard Rescued Safely

A helicopter operated by national chopper carrier Pawan Hans crashed into the sea on Tuesday morning while attempting to land near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with seven people on board, including two crew members and five passengers. The incident occurred around 9:30 am.

Confirming the details, a Pawan Hans spokesperson said the helicopter experienced a “short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”. He added, "The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported." Officials said the aircraft ditched into the sea about 300 metres short of the runway while approaching for landing.

The incident came just a day after a deadly aviation accident in Jharkhand, where an air ambulance crashed in Chatra district, killing all seven people on board. The Beechcraft C90 aircraft, operated by Redbird Airways, was flying from Ranchi to Delhi when it went down in a forested area of Simaria on Monday evening.

In a statement, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said the air ambulance had taken off at 7:11 pm and later lost contact after establishing communication with Kolkata air traffic control. "The aircraft was airborne from Ranchi at 19:11 IST. After establishing contact with Kolkata at 19:34 IST, the aircraft lost communication and radar contact with Kolkata at approximately 100 nautical miles south-east of Varanasi," the DGCA said. Authorities are continuing investigations into both incidents.