Helicopter dismantled, sent for technical analysis

Mumbai: The ill-fated Chetak ‘C-803’ helicopter of Indian Coast Guards (CG), which crash-landed in Murud on Saturday, has been dismantled for being taken off for technical analysis.

A high-level board of enquiry has been ordered into the accident that will submit its report on the findings to the CG commander (west region). The statements of the crew members are crucial for ascertaining the sequence of incidents and the reasons leading to the crash-landing within 25 minutes of its take off.

The lady assistant commandant Penny Chowdhary, who was aboard the chopper, is in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at INHS Asvini and is recuperating, officials said. She sustained injuries in the accident and was found in unconscious state. She was part of a group of four including deputy commandant Balwinder Singh, Pradhan Navik Sandeep and Navik Baljeet who were on a surveillance sortie.

“Since the chopper has been retrieved, as it was not a crash and the crew survived the deadly incident, their statements will be crucial in the board of enquiry. It will also be backed up by technical analysis of the damaged chopper as a part of investigation into the crash,” said Avinandan Mitra, deputy commandant and coast guards PRO.

The Chetak C-803 is a single engine chopper, officials said, hence there was no scope for it to continue to be airborne following the technical snag on Saturday afternoon.

The flying age of the chopper along with its maintenance checks and fitness reports will also be scrutinized. The report will be eventually sent to the Coast Guard Headquarters in Delhi.

Following the crash landing, the rotors were found to be intact, all machinery was intact, however the tail rotor was slightly bent.

No part was found broken except the right wheel area, preliminary findings stated. The surveillance sortie was underway off the coast south of Mumbai and the chopper crash-landed six nautical miles north of Murud near Alibaug following the snag.