A helicopter crash near Kondhavale village in Paud area of Pune district on Saturday left four individuals injured, including the pilot and three crew members. The incident occurred in the afternoon when an Augusta Westland 139 (AW139) helicopter, operated by Global Vectra Helicorp Limited (GVHL), went down due to adverse weather conditions.
The helicopter was en route to Hyderabad after departing from Juhu base in Mumbai when it encountered severe weather, including heavy rains that have been affecting the region since the morning. The crash happened at approximately 2:45 p.m., according to Pune rural police officials.
The pilot, Captain Anand, sustained head injuries and was transported to Symbiosis hospital for treatment. The other injured crew members—identified as Veer Bhatia, Amardeep Singh, and SP Ram—suffered minor injuries. Two of them received treatment at the Paud primary health center.
Emergency services and a local trekking group promptly arrived at the scene to assist with rescue efforts. Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise before the helicopter rapidly lost altitude and crashed into a forested area. Pune police have cordoned off the crash site and launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
Manoj Yadav, inspector at Paud Police Station, confirmed that the helicopter was impacted by bad weather conditions as it reached the Mulshi area. Preliminary investigations suggest that the crash may have been caused by a problem with the collective lever, as indicated by a source at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The aircraft was reported to have descended rapidly with the tail down, and the cloud cover was noted to be at a height of 400 feet.
Director General of Civil Aviation Vikram Dev Dutt has sent a team to the crash site for further investigation. Juhu airport director Ashok Verma added that the helicopter had taken off at 2:01 p.m. and lost contact with Mumbai Air Traffic Control (ATC) shortly thereafter. The aircraft has been extensively damaged.
Global Vectra Helicorp Limited, headquartered at Juhu airport in Mumbai, is one of the largest helicopter operators in India, with a fleet of 29 aircraft including light and medium-sized twin-engine helicopters.
Sources By Agencies
