An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv crashed on Sunday during a routine training sortie in Gujarat’s Porbandar, claiming the lives of all three crew members on board. The incident took place at the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Porbandar, with officials reporting that the helicopter encountered technical difficulties at 12:10 pm, leading to the crash. Among those on board were two pilots, and all three personnel were killed, as reported by news agency PTI.
“While two of them were declared brought dead, one was alive when brought to the hospital and died later,” said Inspector Rajesh Kanmiya of the Kamala Baug police station.
Porbandar Superintendent of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja stated that the helicopter crashed near the runway and subsequently caught fire. “The blaze was later brought under control with the help of a fire tender,” he said. The severely burned crew members were extracted from the helicopter and rushed to a hospital in Porbandar but succumbed to their injuries.
The Indian Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the crash.
This tragedy occurs shortly after a critical safety upgrade to the military’s ALH fleet was implemented by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) following a series of accidents last year. The upgrade, which introduced an improved control system, was designed to enhance the airworthiness of the locally manufactured helicopters. However, the Dhruv fleet has faced ongoing scrutiny due to persistent design issues, which led to multiple groundings last year, raising concerns about its flight safety record.
Previous incident few months ago
In September, a Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH Mk-III) crashed into the Arabian Sea near Porbandar, prompting the Coast Guard to initiate a one-time safety inspection of its ALH fleet. The inspection focused on the flying controls and transmission system, as revealed in an internal communication as per a Hindustan Times report. Following the incident, the fleet was temporarily grounded. The Coast Guard operates 16 ALHs, which are designed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.
The helicopter was conducting a medical evacuation mission in response to an emergency aboard a tanker when it crashed into the sea approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, at around 11:15 pm. The term “ditching” refers to an aircraft making an emergency landing in water.
The same helicopter had recently been instrumental in rescue operations during floods in Gujarat. “The Indian Coast Guard ALH, which saved 67 lives during the recent cyclonic weather in Gujarat, was launched around 11:00 pm on September 2, 2024, for the medical evacuation of a seriously injured crew member aboard the Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela, about 45 km from Porbandar, in response to a request from the vessel’s master,” the Coast Guard said in a statement.
