A tragic incident occurred at Porbandar in Gujarat when one Advanced Light Helicopter of the Indian Coast Guard crashed, claiming three lives. The helicopter belonged to the ALH Dhruv, which caught in the fire post-crash that took place at an open field.
Details related to the incident are scanty and reasons for the crash are being investigated. The ALH Dhruv was on a routine sortie when the incident occurred at the Air Enclave of the Indian Coast Guard. Sources said several people were injured in the incident and are being treated at a local civil hospital.
Indian Coast Guard is considered the most vital maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue agency within Indian territorial waters. The identity of the dead crew members has not been revealed yet, and further details are awaited.
The incident comes four months after three crew members went missing when an ALH MK-III helicopter fell into the Arabian Sea off Porbandar. The bodies of two crew members were recovered within days, but the body of the pilot, Rakesh Kumar Rana, was found only in October after a month-long search.
During the previous accident also, the helicopter was undertaking an evacuation operation to rescue a injured crew member onboard the motor tanker Hari Leela which lay approximately 30 NM off the Porbandar coastline.
Concerns regarding safety of ALH Dhruv helicopters have been periodically raised. The choppers two years back reported a number of defects at once, from component flaws in design and metallurgy.
These concerns led to a case of extensive scrutiny of the fleet, thereby resulting in a temporary grounding of the helicopters maintained by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. After a comprehensive audit of safety procedures, operations recommenced pending technical checks for more than 325 ALH Dhruv helicopters after recent incidents in 2023.
